Granted, there is poverty in Lyari, but there is no dearth of talent here. In fact, people here are ready to make any kind of sacrifice to fulfill their passion. Childhood passion turns into obsession and obsession enriches them with talent. Hard workers also consider it a duty to make time for their hobbies.
It would not be wrong if we say that the first recognition of Lyari is the game of football. Lyari's footballer Maikaan Wahid Baloch also confirms this to us. He says that football has been genetically inherited by us. Ever since he regained consciousness, he found the game and passion for football everywhere. The game has become an important part of the culture here.
It was a rare moment when Lyari footballer Maikan was first seen playing with the boys at the Kukri ground. This is being said because in the recent past, football was considered a men's game only, that's why all the footballers in Lyari were men, but now this big revolutionary change is coming that boys and girls kick the same ball. are Maikan says that she plays openly without any hesitation. Maikan is a football star for many girls in Lyari......
His love for Lyari is reflected in his words 'I don't want Lyari to be identified with drugs, gun culture. Since our region has been rich in sports talent since the beginning, we now want to bring Lyari back to its true identity'.
When we asked Maikan, how do people around you react when you wear a football kit and leave the house to play?
On this he said that the environment was not favorable in the beginning, but then due to the constant encouragement of Baba, Amma and sisters, courage grew. With the passage of time, people's attitudes are also changing.
Maika does not want to look back now. After going from home to field, she is now showing her skills in other areas of Karachi and different cities of Sindh outside Lyari.
She says that 'I was honored with many awards and prizes including the Pride of Sindh. The strength of our academy is our coach Javed Jaffa. We have participated in many competitions under his supervision. We have around 45 female footballers at the moment, something that has never been seen before. The number of boys is more than before. In our academy, no one is a hero or a zero, but all girls and boys are treated equally. I have just played as a national champion, but I have a long way to go'.
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When I asked them that no one objected to playing with boys?
So they replied, 'No, not at all, our parents are enlightened and aware of what is happening in the society, but they think that at least there should be no gender discrimination in the playground. We have to prove that Lyari, which has been the abode of male footballers, now girls will also show their iron'.
Maikan said that when he scored his first goal in Hyderabad outside Lyari, he was overjoyed and got a new passion from there
.Maikan does not consider Lyari to be behind other areas in any way, she says that if it were so, footballers, photographers, artists, rappers and boxers would not emerge from every street of Lyari.
Recalling the days when Lyari was the center of gang war in the recent past, Maikan says, 'The situation was very bad and we were worried. Hearing the roar of the bullets was also scary, but we gradually overcame the fear and did not miss any chance of football practice.
She says that all people want to see a laughing town Lyari once again where playful children and smiling faces brighten the streets, now it feels that the true colors of Lyari's life are coming out.
She says that Lyari is called mini-Brazil because of its football craze, but lacks proper facilities. If the sports department of Sindh pays attention, a lot can happen. We want to shine the name of Sindh along with Lyari. Many children are still drowning in despair due to economic difficulties, many girls and their parents are afraid of economic and social pressure. If the girls and boys here get opportunities to show their talent, peace will be further promoted and they will stay far away from drugs.
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