Hindu Football League founded by KU student

Kingston’s National Hindu Students’ Forum (NHSF) president, Bhavik Vara, founded the Hindu Society Football League which is the first league to be created for all Hindu societies in London.

Bhavik Vara, 21, first-year pharmacy student, developed the league in 2014, where NHSF Kingston played their first match earlier this month against Royal Holloway’s Hindu society Football team.

“It was necessary to start the HSFL because I felt that it would encourage and produce a stronger network between all Hindu societies across London,” said Vara. “It would also magnify and enrich the unity within the NHSF and all universities affiliated.”

The football league was set up because the NHSF, which is the largest Hindu student organisation in the UK representing over 4000 UK students and 50 universities, only runs two sports competitions throughout the year and Vara enthusiastically wanted to start another.

He  said the league was set up to increase the amount of football being played between each Hindu society across London.

There are currently eight NHSF affiliated Hindu societies in the league including NSHF Royal Holloway, who lost against Kingston on November 12.

The team captain, Arjun Popat, said: “I am very proud of NHSF Kingston for developing and hosting the Hindu Society Football League, and I am also very happy that Bhavik came up with the idea and has put this into practice.”

The league is open to anyone who is a paid member of the NHSF Kingston Hindu Society and requires members to perform well during their training in order to be selected for the HSFL team.

The HSFL aims to promote a fit and healthy lifestyle where sporting events are held by NHSF Kingston in order to encourage students of the Hindu Society to take up extracurricular activities such as Football, Netball and also other traditional Indian sports such as Kabaddi and Kho-Kho.

“It has also allowed us to meet new people, make new friends and has helped us promote our society in terms of sports,” said Druvesh Desai, Sports Coordinator of NHSF City University. “We have had an increase in attendance for football due to this league.”

Currently, the NHSF Kingston football team has 25 players where players, who said the HSFL has allowed them to travel to other parts in England and meet new people from other Hindu societies.

“The Hindu society football league is very interactive and brings about unity amongst Hindu societies and cultures,” said Nihal Godhania, first-year Business and Management student and team striker.

“I think NHSF Kingston plays a huge part in the football league. Well so far it’s given me the opportunity to learn from the football I play with opponents and team mates. I’ve also had the privilege to travel and see parts of the UK I haven’t seen before, but it’s made me enjoy my time more at Kingston University.”