Rehabilitating with football

GANGTOK, 28 Apr: On Saturday afternoon, recovering addicts and alcoholics from Serenity Home played an exhibition match here at TNSS School Ground against a combined team of members of RUN (Recovering Users Network) and LIFE “Living Free” Society braving the cold and heavy rains to prove a point.
The match in itself was an exemplary one for the many people who are still under the grips of this disease (WHO declared addiction and alcoholism a relapsable but treatable disease in 1980).
“Games like these give us the motivation to prove to the world that even drug addicts and alcoholics have it in them to play the game at the top level. We had practiced for this game for a long time and even if we lost in penalties, we know next time we will definitely beat them with more practice and dedication,” shared Rinchen Lepcha, captain of Serenity Home a rehabilitation centre here at Lower Burtuk.
The match that was a very contesting one went into penalties after both the teams scored three goals each before the final whistle. The combined team of RUN and LIFE won 5 goals to 3 in the penalty shootout. The winning team was awarded a trophy and medals while the runners-up team also received a trophy and mementoes for all the participating members. The man of the match trophy was awarded to Kalzang Bhutia, the goal keeper from the winning team.
The match which was sponsored by Bishal Chamling from Garigaon, Tadong has immensely motivated the youth who have appreciated the initiative of the sponsorship, which they say is one of the first of its kind from an “outsider” since no one other than organizations and individuals belonging to the recovering users fraternity has ever come up and offered such generous support for the ‘cause’.
“We wholeheartedly thank Bishal Chamling and Promode Pradhan who have come forward and shown their support to encourage recovering addicts and alcoholics. This sponsorship has lifted spirits and given a morale boost to these youth, many of whom who were either professional footballers and sportspersons before the disease took over their life,” stated Khituk Tongden Lepcha, general secretary, LIFE “Living Free” Society.
The trophies, medals and mementoes were handed over by Promode Pradhan on behalf of Bishal Chamling who in his address assured all support to such a noble cause and maintained that similar sponsorships would be made to the recovering addicts in the coming future.