Nilgiris: In an inspiring gesture of volunteerism, locals in a village in Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu have raised Rs 4 lakh through a football tournament for the treatment of a woman suffering from kidney failure, sources said. Ashwini, a married woman from Kadakampatti village near Kotagiri, was recently detected with kidney failure.
The tragedy has come as a bolt from the blue for the Ashwini's financially weak family, who cannot afford the expensive medical treatment. Considerate of the family's predicament, the villagers decided to raise funds for the treatment in various ways. As a part of the volunteerism, district level football matches were organized by Kadakampatti Bharathi Youth Club.
The funds raised through the tournament are being donated to Ashwini's treatment. As part of the tournament, which began last week, a total of 16 matches were held. The organizers have managed to raise Rs 4 lakh funds through the tournament for Ashwini's medical expenses. The final match was played between the teams Kattabettu and Uiyilatti.
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As none of the teams could score a goal during the match time, the Kattabettu team was declared the winner through a tie breaker. The winning team was awarded the cup. Village Secretary Ramesh along with President of Ettoor Hala presented the trophy to the winning team. The Rs 4 lakh funds collected through the football tournament organized by Bharathi Youth Council was transferred to a private hospital in Coimbatore for Ashwini's medical treatment.
Kavilerai Bhiman, Hill Port Secretary Ravikumar, Nilgiri District Football Club Vice President Gopala Krishnan, Congress Party State Minority Unit Vice President JP Ashraf Ali and Ramchand Traders Association President Liaqat Ali, Kotagiri District Congress President Sillababu and village leaders were present as special guests at the final match.
It was the first football tournament organized by the town for the treatment of a young woman. Nanjundan, who belongs to Badukar Welfare Organization, expressed his heartfelt appreciation for the youth who came forward to help the woman. “We pray to God for the recovery of Ashwini who is undergoing treatment,'' he said.
Another villager said that the condition of the woman's family moved them and they decided to somehow help her. “In order to help her somehow, we decided to collect funds through football matches after consulting the leaders of the surrounding villages,'' he said.
