A soccer tourney for rescued child labourers

For this tournament will consist of children who have been rescued from child labour from India and other countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia and Thailand.

Bornfree Art School has come with a novel idea of protesting against child labour by initiating the Red Card tournament. John Devaraj of the Art School says that the idea came after Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) banned the use of footballs which were found to be stitched by children. “On the behest of International Labour Organisation (ILO), players came to the field led by little children who were child labourers. It indicated that the football players were asking the world to show a red card to child labour,” he says.

Inspired by that thought, he is forming the Bornfree Football Club to organise the Red Card tournament. But it is not just the football tournament but a cultural festival that is being planned with a film festival, painting, photography, dance, mime, essay, poetry and even a Childrens’ Parliament.

Winners in all these categories will receive awards titled like the ‘John Abraham award for best video film’ or Dr Mallika Sarabhai Award for best group in dance, Charlie Chaplin award for mime and Anne Frank Award for best literary piece. The festival will begin on June 11 and end on July 11.

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