This is the first episode of Nets and Hoops and I will like to explain the concept of this series.
Net and Hoops is a weekly series I am starting to celebrate both retired and active Sportsmen and Women who are doing great things in their field.
Sports is something that requires a lot of discipline and I believe that if more Sportmen are active in the media, they will play a huge role in carrying the Future generation to greatness.
My first feature in this Series is the popularily know as Pele (Edson Arantes do Nascimento). He is know worldwide as a Football god due to his amazing performance over the span of his Carreer both for Club and Country.
He made over 666 club appearances and also played for the Brazillian national team from 1957-1971.
It is easy to look now and see his fame and fortune, but before Football brought him to Limelight, Pele lived in Sao Paulo where he worked in Tea Shops to make ends meet. He was nicknamed Pele because he kept mispronouncing the name of his favourite football player 'Belle"
It is actually funny that he has come to embrace the name he so hated while he was in School, he once got suspended for two days for fighting with a schoolmate who was calling him Pele. He kept telling them that his name was Edson.
He promised his Father at the age of Nine that he would win him a World Cup after his father was lamenting about Brazil exit from the World Cup that Year. And within seven years he fulfilled that promise when he went to the 1958 World Cup with Brazil at the age of 16
Waldemar de Brito who took him to Santos for Trial introduced him as the greatest player the world will ever see. After the trials he was signed by Santos and made his debut in 7th September 1956. He got into the first team by the next season and became the league top scorer at the age of 16.
What most people don't know was that Pele suffered from Myopia and the fact that he could achieve this much with that eye conditions goes a long way in cementing his legendary Status
He hit a season record in 1958 with a tally of 66 goals. He started getting a lot of offers by different clubs like Real Madrid but chose to remain at Santos. An Italian club even offered him shares as part of the contract but he turned their offer down.
Like I said, this series is not just about popular Sportsmen, it is about Sportsmen and women who are using their influence and position to give back to the society.
Some athlethes fizzle away after retirement and some even end up trending for all the wrong reasons, but Pele is someone who is making a lot of difference with his Influence.
He is someone who is very passionate about Young people and he goes a long way in helping groom the next generation. He is always receptive to people and connects with anyone he meets. he never gets tired of signing Autographs and his Humility is amazing.
He played a huge role in winning the 2016 Olympics bid for Rio. He was also give the Honour by FIFA to pick the 125 living best players during FIFA Centenary anniversary in 2004.
His love for people is evident is the different ways he is giving back to people. He is involved in a lot of charitable causes like UNICEF and he is also a Patron of ABC Trust since 2002
He held an Auction for his medals and Memorabilia in 2016 , and the proceeds were used to support a Childrens hospital and also his former club Santos. He put up more than 2000 items for sale including his Three World Cup Medals.
Pele is someone who really cares about creating a Good Model for the younger generation, below is one of his greatest quotes :
"Every kid around the world who plays soccer wants to be Pele. I have a great responsibility to show them not just how to be like a soccer player, but how to be like a man."
There have been a lot of debates about who is the greatest between Pele and Maradona. There have been a lot of arguments on both sides, but I believe that the best is the one who was able to serve as a Model for the younger generation of what it means to be a public figure.
I end with this quote from Real Madrids Ferenc Puskas
The greatest Player in History was Di Stefano. I refuse to Classify Pele as a Player. He was above that.
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Thanks For Reading
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