Kuwait based Indian boy thrilled to play with Brazilian striker Neymar

IIK Staff Reporter
Wednesday, September 15, 2021

Kuwait based Indian boy and Ex. Community School student Shahzad Rafi is thrilled to meet football icon Neymar Jr after being selected to the special team at the 2021 Red Bull Neymar Jr's Five World Final by none other than the Brazilian striker.

Shahzad Rafi, hailing from Kannur in Kerala, completed his 10th standard from Indian Community School, Salmiya. His father, Mohammed Rafi, is working with Ashkanani Group in Kuwait and his mother, Sherifa is a housewife. Shahzad had two sisters, all were living in Kuwait.



Red Bull Neymar Jr's announced their contest for selection to the Global Five team earlier this year. An amateur football player needs to post a 60-second clip on Instagram using the hashtag #outplaythemall. Millions of videos of participants across the globe were sent for selection to be part of Neymar Jr's Global Five 2021 team. Neymar Jr and his fellow judges selected the final five last week.



17-year-old Shahzad Rafi is the only Indian player who has got selected from Kuwait. Another Indian boy Abhinash Shanmugham from Bengaluru, also got selected by the Brazilian striker. Other team members are from Belgium, Norway, Brazil, Nigeria and Italy. In the coming December, they will meet in Qatar to meet Neymar Jr and represent his team at 2021 Red Bull Neymar Jr's Five World Final - the world's biggest amateur five-a-side football tournament.



"It was extremely unbelievable when I saw my name in the list," Shahzad told IndiansinKuwait.com. I am eagerly waiting to meet Neymar, who is an icon, Shehzad said. Currently, Shahzad is in India as they left Kuwait last year to attend a wedding in his family. They got stranded after Kuwait closed their airport and is now planning to return.

"I started playing football from my primary classes. I played many local matches in Kuwait along with my friends but was not part of any club," Shahzad said while talking to Indiansinkuwiat.com. Shahzad is an avid street footballer and tries many tricks watching videos on YouTube. He always uploads his freestyle Football videos on his own YouTube and Instagram accounts; most of it are recorded from Kuwait. "My parents encouraged and supported me after I recorded few freestyle football videos and uploaded them on my Instagram. My friends also always supported me with their encouragements," Shahzad said. "Once I was rejected from my school team selection as they were only focusing on hitting the goal," he said. That gave him one more reason to focus entirely on his freestyle plays and to reach new levels. "I always follow the style of Neymar Jr and now thrilled to meet him in person and to play for his team," excited Shahzad said.






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