Dawn whistle fights juvenile screen addiction while reviving the football tradition on Vypeen Beach

TweeeeEEEEt! At first light, the booming whistle of coach Vimal T R announces the beginning of an hour-long football practise on the Vypeen beach. People are quite happy about this since it has become a common occurrence in this area.

Even though sports have a long history on the island, participation in them has been alarmingly declining in recent years. Many of the grounds here have been abandoned to the weather or to nature due to disuse. Many children have been hooked to their phones or, worse, drugs as a result of not having enough play.

Vimal wants to encourage more individuals to take an interest in sports. Now, out of 100 persons in Vypeen, only around five play sports. Vimal, who has a C-level football license, adds, “I want to highlight the benefits of playing.

Many like-minded people support him, such as national football referee Manu P A, Valappu ward member Swathish Sathyan, and World Blind Football referee Vivek T C. They have been able to bring about a much-needed transformation on the island together.

Formerly, Garrinchaz FC, a club that had great success in sports, called Vypeen home. The club hopes that by taking this step, they can create an environment on the island that would attract more teams of a similar caliber.