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Forget Messi and Ronaldo. This is where football is as real as it gets

The long ball. It is the oldest tactic in the football playbook and one that Indian football has long been adapted to playing. H Noor Basha, however, has other plans. “You boys are young. So long ball is fine now. But as you grow up, you will need to refine your passing technique… play more short passes. We’ll be learning how to push past in the coming days,” he tells an attentive group, aged between five and 15. We meet in the playground of a private school in Valasaravakkam on Sunday, where Basha — a physical education teacher employed with a private school in Adyar — is attempting to train children in the way of possession football (a playing strategy used by teams). It is what the young football coach does during his time away from work — train more children. Chasing dreams Having spent his childhood growing up in Vyasarpadi, Basha, 29, understands the impact that sport, especially football, can have on children from economically disadvantaged sections of society. Vyasarpadi had an image… one of the drugs, murder, and rampant alcoholism. Today, the place is synonymous with sport… like carrom and football,” he says.…

Read MoreForget Messi and Ronaldo. This is where football is as real as it gets