PM’s ‘Mini Brazil’ Budding Football Stars Cry Foul Over Ruined Ground; Proposal For Shahdol Stadium Stuck For Over One Year
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) In the heart of Shahdol district, a group of tribal teenagers—hailed as the rising football stars of Madhya Pradesh—are training not on turf, but on dust, mud and trash.
Welcome to Vicharpur, famously dubbed Mini Brazil for its deep-rooted football culture. But the ground where nearly 200 boys and girls hone their skills lies in a state of neglect: uneven, dusty, without a boundary wall and routinely invaded by cattle, cars, garbage and passersby. The very field that has produced 80 national-level players is now a makeshift road and a dumping yard.
Vehicles and villagers cross through the open seven-acre field as if it's a thoroughfare. Stray cattle graze mid-match, and locals casually throw trash on it. Lack of a boundary wall or dedicated entry restricts any meaningful training. Monsoon turns the ground slushy and unplayable; the dry season kicks up dust clouds, triggering allergies and injuries.
Fifteen-year-old national player Suhani Kol shares the daily struggles:“We have to clean garbage before we start playing. We get injured and suffer from dust allergies. Without a proper ground, our morale drops at national tournaments. We just want a grass ground and 3–4 proper stadiums to grow and compete at international levels.”
Vicharpur, mostly home to tribal communities, including Gond, Kol, Baiga, Bhil, Korku and Dalits, has earned national recognition for football excellence. Its nickname ‘Mini Brazil’ draws parallels with the South American football powerhouse for the sheer talent emerging from this rural belt. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spotlighted Vicharpur during a podcast with tech podcaster Lex Fridman, and later in the 103rd episode of Mann Ki Baat.
Yet, the players remain grounded—literally and figuratively—with no proper infrastructure. A proposal for converting the ground into a proper stadium, with turf, stands and fencing, has been pending with the Directorate of Sports and Youth Welfare (DSYW) for over a year.
Recently, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced Rs 10 lakh support to 16 teams from Mini Brazil. But for young players, it’s the field—not funds—that is the bigger need.
Without swift action from the sports department, this football nursery could see talent wither away under the weight of bureaucracy and broken promises.
Ground reality
Without a boundary wall, the field is used as a road, cattle grazing ground and garbage dump
Players suffer allergic reactions in summer and injuries during monsoon when the field turns slushy
80 national-level players have emerged from the area, mostly from tribal and Dalit communities
Renovation plan has been pending with the Sports Department for over a year
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