The District Cup
The U-13 Maulsari Eagles possess genuine talent and dedicated coaching. Yet invisible forces conspire against them. Prithvi, their midfielder, struggles with paternal disapproval. Kadambini, operating on the wing, confronts the prejudice that women footballers face daily. Coach Siraj battles something far larger: a system rotting from within, where corruption thrives and false ages slip through unchecked. This tale matters because it explores what's truly at stake. Dignity. Recognition. The chance to prove oneself in a sport where the odds feel deliberately stacked. Each obstacle they encounter peels back another layer of India's football landscape, revealing both its brokenness and its possibility. Can these young players transcend their circumstances? Will their persistence reshape the sport itself, or merely test the limits of hope? Ravikumar crafts a narrative that resonates far beyond the pitch, asking uncomfortable questions about fairness, resilience and what it takes to challenge an entrenched system. Brilliant timing for anyone captivated by sport and its capacity to transform lives.
- Author: Mallika Ravikumar
- Publisher: India Puffin
- Genre: Sports & Recreation
- ISBN: 978-0143459842
- Pages: 240 pages