Fancy Foot Work

When 17-year-old Michael Keishing,a student of GD Goenka School is not flipping through his course books,he is immersed in perfecting tricks with a football.

When 17-year-old Michael Keishing,a student of GD Goenka School is not flipping through his course books,he is immersed in perfecting tricks with a football. However,its not football as we know it David Beckham style,but freestyle football,where players can get really innovative by juggling the ball,balancing it on your chest,or even,performing hand stands with a football. I got addicted to this sport after watching an online Nike commercial of freestyle footballers a few years ago. I routinely practice new moves, he says,while deftly balancing the ball between his shoulders and neck.

Essentially,freestyle football and football share only one thing in common,they use the same ball. While football is a well recognised Olympic sport,freestyle football is much more non-conformist and innovative. The game is played on a hard surface like concrete or flat ground and the winner is whoever performs the best tricks. There are no rules to the game. You can be as creative as you like, says Keishing,a self-taught freestyler.

After gathering together a few more amateur freestyle footballers from across the country,Keishing formed Indias first online community of freestyle footballers on Facebook. In October 2008,this class XI student formed the Street Kings of India,a community to promote the sport. This group of freestylers often meet at local community parks to experiment with the ball. Each freestyler performs tricks to the beats of music played by a DJ,from electro-funk,techno- hip-hop and house music.

The music needs to complement the kind of tricks were doing, explains Yang Lem,19,a DJ,and a student of Sociology Honors at Hindu college. Now,theyre trying to educate people about the sport. We perform like an exhibition sport, says Aditya Pawar,16,a student of Mount Carmel School,the youngest freestyler of the group. The boys recently participated at the Red Bull Streetstyle championship last year in Delhi and Keishing was chosen to represent India in the World Finals in Sao Paolo,Brazil. It was my Board year so my parents did not allow me to go, he frowns,but adds that hes determined to go to South Africa for the 2010 Red Bull Streetstyle. Lat year,they performed at a promotion for Virgin mobile at the TDI mall,Rajouri Garden.

Right now the gang is working on perfecting their moves. We refer to the Internet from time to time to sharpen our skills, says Pawar. Up next,the group will perform at NIIT,Trichi,next month. We are eager to teach this sport to young enthusiasts and form a coaching club, he adds. Thatll certainly be a goal.

For more details contact: Joni R. Leivon: 9891747190

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