Greetings everyone! This Mohammad Sumon! from #Bangladesh

^{Hello everyone! I hope you all are doing well by the grace of the Almighty.}

Today, I am very excited to share my entry for the Contest organized by the Steem Space community. A special thanks to the community admins & moderators @adeljose & @kibreay001 Brother, for hosting such an engaging competition.

^{Spreading positivity and creativity through my words.}

Our Surroundings: Let´s Talk About The News

For me, Dhaka city is a crowded and busy place, where it is really difficult to find an open space or a playground to breathe in the crowd of concrete. In this brick and stone city, this small field in our area is a piece of absolute relief for me. That day was Friday. When I was walking after finishing the prayers in the sweet morning light, I suddenly saw a group of teenagers running from one end of the field to the other with a football. Seeing this scene, a strange feeling of love worked in my mind and keeping the current Steemit contest in mind, I went straight to them. Going there, I tried to complete my participation.

Friday Morning Football Culture and Environmental Realities

The most popular sport in my neighborhood is football. Despite the severe shortage of fields in Dhaka, people gather every day to play football on this small sandy field in our area. To me, football is not just about chasing a leather ball, but it is an integral part of the passion and culture of the people of our area, which binds people together despite a hundred adversities.

That Friday morning, I went to the field and saw an extraordinary scene. Eight students from our local madrasa were playing football happily in two groups. They would come to the field after Fajr prayers every day. I noticed that they did not have any specific dress code, nor did they have any special clothes or boots for sports. Wearing simple T-shirts and shorts, and completely barefoot, the joy and love for football on their faces touched my heart.

I think that the real beauty of football lies here—where no nobility is required. Personally, I am also deeply involved in this game. The golden days of my childhood were spent on this field. Even though I currently spend the rest of the week busy with work, whenever I get a chance, I go down to play with my friends on this field.

Our playground is quite small, sandy, and surrounded by the ever-familiar multi-story residential buildings of Dhaka city. On one side of the field, there are some old tin sheds and vans, and on the other side, the under-construction structure (rod and bamboo props) of a large building can be seen. Although the field is small in size in the reality of Dhaka city and due to the surrounding environment, it cannot be called a completely ideal field; it is the only hope for the youth of our area.

However, due to the current hostile weather and continuous rain, water has accumulated in one corner of the field, creating small holes and mud. In addition, household garbage left by the locals can be seen accumulating in one corner of the field.

The ownership of this facility is completely public (community-owned). In my opinion, this is the most beautiful aspect of this field. Any ordinary person in the area, a madrasa student or a child of a working man, can enter this field for free without paying any fee and play to their heart's content.

Since the madrasa students were playing with only a simple plastic or cheap leather football without any professional equipment, I am mentioning the current market prices of the basic equipment for playing football below:

• Football: The simple football they were using was in poor condition. Buying a good quality leather football costs about [2000 Taka (Approx.) / 409 STEEM] in the market

• Football Boots: A pair of boots for ordinary players costs about [2500 Taka (Approx.) / 511.25 STEEM] (although the madrasa boys were playing completely barefoot)

• Jersey & Shorts: A set of team jerseys costs about [600 Taka (Approx.) / 122.70 STEEM]

• Shin Guards & Socks: These accessories for protection cost about [400 Taka (Approx.) / 81.80 STEEM]

I think football plays a great role in both the physical and mental development of a person:

Physical Development: Playing football on this sandy field after Fajr prayers helps the students of the madrasa to increase their stamina, keep their bodies strong and focus on their studies throughout the day.

Mental and Social Development: In my opinion, football teaches us unity. The way these 8 students were playing together as a team, it created a sense of camaraderie, discipline and teamwork. In my opinion, it helps them to be better people in real life off the field as well.

The environmental impact of our football field seems very mixed to me. While open fields are disappearing one after another from the heart of Dhaka city, this small field is helping the youth of the area to grow naturally by keeping them away from mechanical screens.

Team Red	Team Yellow

However, I have also noticed some negative aspects of it. At one end of the field, plastic and other garbage have accumulated in the form of piles, which are polluting the environment. In addition, due to rain and adverse weather, the soil of the field has become soft and muddy. Domestic animals of the local people (such as cows and buffaloes) can be seen grazing inside the field, which sometimes spoils the cleanliness of the field. In my opinion, it is possible to make the field more beautiful and environmentally friendly by removing this garbage.

To me, pictures are not just framed moments, but a living document of a childhood lived amidst the harsh reality and nature around us. I think the sight of these little boys playing football in the mud, showing their thumbs up to the hostile weather and dirty environment around them, will touch anyone's heart deeply.

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