In 2018, Indian Super League fans cheered as “youngest-ever scorer” Gourav Mukhi ran onto the pitch, celebrated as a 16-year-old wonderkid. But a year later, the All India Football Federation banned him for six months after he admitted he was actually 21. And as if the fact that he got away with it at the highest level is not shocking enough, what is more disturbing is that Mukhi was back on the pitch after a short six month suspension!
And in cricket: Manjot Kalra, hero of India’s U-19 World Cup final, was later accused of fudging his age to remain eligible for junior tournaments. In January 2020, the Delhi & District Cricket Association suspended him from domestic play for a year over age-fraud allegations.
These are not isolated tales. Across Indian youth sport – from cricket to football – overage players manipulate birth certificates, school records, or medical tests. The result? Fair competition is eroded, younger athletes get robbed of opportunity, and the integrity of grassroots sport is undermined.
How big is the problem of Age Fraud in India? When 16 really means 21!
Age fraud is not, contrary to what one would like to imagine, an occasional phenomenon that occurs in a few rare cases. As reported by several sports writers, it is entrenched in the system. This video contains a peek into well-researched articles by several journalists who have flagged the problem.
Age Fraud : Theme of the book The District Cup
The District Cup (Penguin / Puffin, Nov 2022) by Mallika Ravikumar, is a sports novel set around the theme of age cheating and corruption in Indian youth football.
Set in the fictional town of Maulsari, the story follows the U-13 Maulsari Eagles:
- Prithvi, the midfielder and protagonist of the book, torn between parental expectations and his football dreams
- Kadambini, the winger, battling gender bias and stereotypes
- Mangya, who comes from a humble background but dreams big
- And their coach Siraj, who must fight not just rival clubs, but a system riddled with age fraud and corruption
Siraj repeatedly clashes with Zubair, whose club fields overage players in younger categories. When Siraj complains to the district association, he is punished instead and ends up losing his training ground.
Can the Eagles transcend personal struggles and systemic rot to lift the District Cup?
While the novel is fictional, many characters and incidents are inspired by real events and news. Age Fraud is not just fictional but a dark shadow that looms over sport in India
Why The District Cup matters
While Mukhi, Kalra, and other high-visibility cases make headlines, for every one there are dozens you never hear of, kids denied chances because others pretended to be younger. The book novel does what many non-fiction exposés can’t: it humanizes victims, builds empathy, and gives us characters to root for.
For almost always, the child is never the problem. It is the adults – the parents who get fake documents, the coaches who play them, the selectors who pick them and the officials who look away. They know and they do it nevertheless. Experts say it is one of the key reasons Indian football is in a shambles today.
Based on solid research, including speaking to those within the system, The District Cup doesn’t just depict the problem, but gives us a team that fights back, a coach who stands (and sometimes stumbles), and a quiet belief that change can begin from small fields.
Quick Highlights, Reviews & Awards
- 285 pages, middle-grade / young adult fiction
- Goodreads+2mallikaravikumar.com+2
- Medium+2mallikravikumar.
- Awards & Honors:
• Atta Galatta Bangalore Literature Festival Award — Best Children’s Fiction 2023
• Binod Kanoria Children’s Book Award (2023) (Young Adult / Children’s fiction)
Grab the book & join the conversation
- Amazon India (Paperback / eBook): The District Cup – Mallika Ravikumar
- Amazon US / Kindle edition: The District Cup on Kindle
