Nakul Shivani/ New Delhi

Tucked away in a remote corner of Budgam on the scenic Srinagar-Gulmarg highway, is a small village called Narbalpeth. Here, every day, at the crack of dawn Ulfat Bano makes her way to a small playground next to her house to train young kids in the art and skill of kicking a football.

Dressed in a hijab and track-suit, Ulfat has been doing this religiously for more than a decade.

The middle of five sisters, she was once a fan of martial art sports and cycling till the bug of football bit her. Actually, it was poverty that pulled her to this sport.

For 37-year-old Ulfat, the initial years were a struggle for the family of five daughters to survive. “At times we slept on empty stomachs or just one roti with salt. Spending money on good education was not an option for my parents. I used to help my mother stitch sweaters and shawls to add to my father’s meagre income,” she says.

She looked at sports as a ladder to success. Most sports are expensive to pursue. The equipment, and coaching is not something everyone can afford. “My father saw my interest in sports, and asked me to take the lead in preparing my other sisters for a better future.”

Ulfat sharing her skills with the youngest of her trainees

“I come from a poor family. Football is cheap to play. Other sports require money. This can be played without much investment,” she says.

Her father who works as a helper in the state irrigation department helped Ulfat prepare a small ground close to her home to play football with her sisters.

“Such was the fun we used to have, gradually our neighbours too started joining us,” she says. In the not-so-economically well-off neighbourhood, many parents saw this as an avenue for their children to grow in life.

Ulfat Bano became the bridge for the young boys and girls in her area. With the local administration opening special avenues for sportspersons in jobs and providing other facilities, excelling in this field was a choice many parents from the lower middle class and poor backgrounds made for their children.

“I empathized with the children. I myself am not well-educated. I knew if other children like me did not get access to good education due to financial constraints, sports could be a good avenue to move up in life,” she says. Many girls and boys trained by her have today got admissions to good colleges and jobs in government departments because of football.

Employed in Kashmir University as a sweeper, Ulfat was spotted by the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council which helped her become a certified coach.

JKSC has roped in Ulfat to train future footballers in the valley

“We spotted this young girl during practice sessions in Budgam, doing tremendous work for the girls of her area,” says Nuzhat Gull, Secretary of the JKSC. Nuzhat took her under her wing and gave her the opportunity to mentor girls at the Bakshi stadium in Srinagar.

“Her specialty is that despite coming from a marginal background, she is resilient enough to break stereotypes,” adds Nuzhat.

Ulfat was sent by the JKSC to Kolkata to do a NIS coaching course in 2021. She also has a AIFF ‘D’ coaching certificate and has completed the AIFF grassroots leaders course.

JKSC roped her into scout talent in the Union Territory.

Gradually her reputation as a coach grew. More and more children showed interest in learning from her. Today, Ulfat trains around 400 children in Budgam and Srinagar. Not just this, such is her passion, that during winters she conducts training in indoor spaces. She also travels to far-flung areas of the Union Territory to convince parents to allow their children to play football.

Her aim is to train young kids of Jammu and Kashmir learn to play football in the hope, doors open for them for a better future. “Children from all backgrounds come to train. Some are from very poor families. I want to be their messiah for a better life,” says Ulfat.

What stands Ulfat Bano apart from a lot in the crowd is the fact that she has been rendering her services as a coach voluntarily. “I do not charge any money. I am here only to allow kids to have a level-playing field. I am only hoping to get a regular job in this field soon,” she says.

Many of Ulfat's trainees have played in the state-level age-group championships

For her training kids is all she eats and breathes.

Her sisters all are married and settled. “I don’t want to marry and get distracted from my main aim in life, which is to see a few of my trainees play for the country,” she says.

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Some of the children she has trained have represented the state in the age-group championships. “I am waiting for the day when someone comes back to me with the India jersey,” she says before starting her scooty to go for her evening training session at the Bakshi stadium in Srinagar.