Dantulturi Sri Nikitha of Nyamatabad in Nyalakal mandal, who dropped out from school, has a reason to celebrate now. She has made it to the football training programme at New Jersey, USA.
Three years after she left the school for financial reasons, Magic Bus, a voluntary organisation working with children, recognised her talent in football and helped her hone her skills as a goal keeper.
Her parents Subba Raju and Vijaya Lakshmi, who are farm labourers, had plans of marrying her off once they get a suitable groom. It was at this juncture that Magic Bus recognised her talent and prodded her to pursue it with enthusiasm. She came to the limelight during one of the community sports events organised by the Magic Bus. “Thanks to Magic Bus which made all efforts to get her readmitted to school. They convinced her parents to do so. Without the organisation, Nikhita’s talent might not have gotten proper exposure,” says Shakeela, Principal, Navabharat High School, where Nikhita is studying at present. Under Nikhita’s leadership, the school football team won more than eight matches and also represented the school at the State-level last year.
“She was distraught when we refused to readmit her in the school. Some of our relatives are still against she going to the US as they think that it will be of no use for her. Only her uncle, Subrahmanyam Raju, supported us throughout,” says Nikhita’s parents. But nothing has deterred Nikhita from chasing her dream. Ask her about it and phat comes the answer: “I want to become a football player. To achieve that, I will do whatever that is needed to be done. But my family needs support too ,” says Nikhita, who is flying to New Jersey today to be trained by Sports Leadership Academy there.
With the help of Magic Bus, a voluntary organisation, a dropout from school has managed to go to the US for training in football
