By Shahrukh Sohail and Mian Ali Humayaun, Islamabad
The British Council toasted the success of their ‘Dosti’ program here in a special reception at the Maragalla Hotel hosted for the Street Child World Cup Team that earned Pakistan a bronze medal in Brazil.
Owais, Rajab, Razzik and co. were all in attendance as the British Council showcased the brighter side of Pakistan, pointing out these street children had not only made the nation proud, but shown that with a little help, youngsters can go a long way.
With a number of signatories in a attendance, Azad Foundation’s Ali Bilgrami gave a detailed account of the team and how everything came together at the very end to make the Rio trip possible. Team spokesperson Owais also gave a rousing talk about his journey and how football changed his entire way of life.
The British Council also announced their plans to start a ‘Dosti’ Football League in Karachi and claimed that their program had been a resounding success as they combined sports with social welfare and providing these young kids with a real chance at life.
Moreover, coach Rashid, whose expertise and constant efforts were crucial to the team’s success, revealed that some of the youngsters will go for training in England in the near future and he truly believed that some of them possessed the talent to play professionally.