YMSC’s assist to Chennai football

In the first 25 years of its existence, the YMSC was run singlehandedly by Elangovan, who worked at Customs and played local football. Once his playing career came to a halt, he decided to give back to the sport and society through the YMSC. As many as 15,000 footballers have trained at the club over the years, with about 70 getting into various state and central government departments via the sports quota. 

After shouldering the burden for a quarter of a century, Elangovan could no longer do it of his own. And, that is when his wards stepped in and started the YMSC Welfare Trust, which has been functioning for the last three years. It is currently catering to the needs of about 300 students, who aren’t financially secure. 

While the YMSC has been doing its bit for a number of years now, it is running short of funds as everything is provided at free of cost. So, the club is conducting a three-day fund-raising football Under-17 tournament at the St Joseph Institute of Technology, whose champion will take home the YMSC TRG Trophy. 

“Elangovan has sacrificed a lot. He has changed the lives of so many students. When he was unable to run the club by himself, we joined in. Despite getting contributions from different corners in the last few years, we aren’t able to meet the demands,” said S Vijaykumar, a former trainer at the YMSC and a member of the trust. 

“We have about 300 students. We take care of all their needs. A lot of money is spent on player equipment and playing equipment. We also send our wards to different tournaments in the city. With the coronavirus pandemic on, we are finding it difficult to take care of all the expenses,” added Vijaykumar. 

“We have quality players in our club. Through the fund-raising competition, we want to show the general public the talent they have. If we receive funds, it will be easier for us to give them more exposure and take them to the next level.” Those willing to contribute can contact the following mobile numbers: 9841155066, 9790903650 and 9840495616. The trust can also be reached via e-mail at chennaiymsc@gmail.com.