Football is woven into the very fabric of Lyari. The love for football is so deep that you will find at least one member of each household associated with football at the district, provincial or national level. Lyari, with more than 100 football clubs and 3 stadiums is referred to as ‘Mini Brazil’. Today, we take you to the Benazir Bhutto University Lyari and let you meet the captain of the University’s football team, Waleed Raza. 25 years Waleed is a student of BCS.
It was 1998 when FIFA world cup was held in France and Waleed was only six at that time. Waleed started getting interested in the game and liked it so much that wanted to play it too. Zidane, one of the prominent names of football was playing that time. His way of playing this game impressed Waleed and became a fan of him. This interest of him took him to a nearby ground and joined some fellows to play football.
He was highly passionate about this wonderful game of soccer but was well aware of the significance of education in his life, only that could make the paths clear for his dream to become a prominent footballer. He joined Benazir Bhutto University Lyari for his graduation where he got the chance to play for the team of the university. His way of playing and tricks are distinctive and always plays with a high level of passion. In a very short span of time, he became the captain and started leading the team.
Basit Ali – a footballer with incredible reflexes and on-the-line work
This wonder boy is quick, physically strong and instrumental in setting up the style of the game. The versatile talisman with outrageous speed has shown remarkable individual displays throughout his period with Benazir Bhutto University Lyari. Under his captaincy, his team won the finals in a tournament by PAF Kiet on 25th March 2015. Recently, they stood 3rd in HEC Inter-University Football Tournament among 32 teams from different universities which was held from 23rd Oct to 27 Oct 2017. And his department team took home two winning trophies too while playing inter-departmental tournament.
Waleed calls injury to his knee the biggest challenge for him so far. It took more than one year to recover, but he refused to let that injury end his story. The more time that passes, the more he’s able to dissect the play.
Ali believes that all this has been possible with the help and support of his sports officer Hasan Asif.
Footballers of past from Lyari were not exposed to the fact that education can lead their career to a higher level. The facilities were too low to get the proper education, which turned many footballers into laborers. But this new generation, with full awareness of the significance of education, is awakening to its fullest potential. They are creatively dreaming themselves awake to a new reality of thriving, sustainable, creative, peaceful and loving surrounding.
