New Delhi: On the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Indian football legends have joined hands in the fight against drug abuse. The message from the Indian football family stays loud and clear — get addicted to football, not drugs.
“Football is a great leveller. Instead of seeking a quick solution through drugs, it is a wiser idea to head to the football ground. It helps you maintain a biological clock. You have a healthy appetite, maintain an 8-hour sleep cycle which is important to stay fit. Get addicted to football, not drugs,” legendary Indian footballer I.M. Vijayan stated.
Renedy Singh who mastered the trickery of firing teasing free-kicks during his heydays felt football can be a perfect ‘silver lining’ to come out of this setback.
“Sports, let alone football, provide you with so much positivity and energy which helps you get over this negativity and obstacle. It helps you getting healthier physically as well as psychologically. It categorically minimises chances of not going back to those bad habits again. It gives you an option to live a peaceful life, away from these hazards — a reason to be proud of.”
“Parents provide pocket money to their wards for food, conveyance but they use them for drugs. Initially, parents stay unaware of it and when they come to know, the kids have already fallen prey to it,” Padma Shri Bembem Devi, the most decorated woman footballer India have ever produced, expressed.
Goalkeeper Subrata Paul urged all to take up sports as a hobby. “Nowadays in nuclear families, there isn’t much bonding among the kids. Not everyone goes out and play. This loneliness often destroys you. Pick up a sport as a hobby. You will feel better. I urge all parents to push their kids into sports,” he stressed.
