By Mark A. Cadiz

Sonam Wangyal, born in the cusp of the Himalayan region, was part of the Tibetan diaspora in northern India before immigrating to Canada. A soccer player since he was a child, Wangyal now uses his love of the game to help immigrant youth in his community.

Why did you come to Canada?

I came to Canada in my late twenties in 2001, along with the first wave of Tibetans who immigrated more than a decade ago. I was born in the northern part of India and grew up in a Tibetan settlement because in the late 1950s the communist power in China occupied Tibet. As a result, thousands of Tibetans were forced to migrate and the only place that made spiritual and geographical sense was India. Although India welcomed us, we were not granted citizenship. For myself, India was the place I grew up in, but it wasn’t a place where we had rights as citizens.

What were your impressions of Toronto when you arrived?

When I compare Toronto to other cities I have been to, one thing that really sticks out is the diversity of the people. And as a Tibetan I thought we were very fortunate to come here to have basic rights and the ability to call Canada home.

Tell us about your soccer background.

I began playing soccer at the age of six in a little Tibetan settlement called Clementon Dehra Dun. My father and uncles were good at soccer, so it was already in my genes. I went to a Catholic boarding school in India, where I got proper soccer training from a fantastic coach who played in a professional Indian club. This experience helped develop my skills and discipline in soccer. When I was 19, I went to Delhi University in India where I played at the university level and pursued a degree in English literature.

In 1999, an unofficial Tibetan national team was formed made up of the best Tibetan soccer players from around the globe. I was recruited to be a part of the team, which gave me the opportunity to travel to many European cities.

What inspired you to start the soccer camp here?

I used to work for another soccer camp where the parents would pay $600 to send their kids to a week-long camp. While I was there it got me thinking about the kids in the Parkdale neighbourhood who were not so fortunate, then I started to think about creating my own camp. In a neighbourhood like Parkdale — where many new immigrant parents come with their kids — they normally don’t have funds to send their children to sport programs. I thought it was important to create a program that was completely free, to help build a structure for the Tibetan and non-Tibetan kids in the neighbourhood.

What were your main objectives in establishing the soccer program?

The biggest objective behind the scenes was to introduce the kids to the Canadian way of life and push them into the right direction … It was my goal to make sure they stayed off the streets so they wouldn’t get into trouble, hoping they would become better citizens.

So have you seen some positive changes with the kids in the program?

Absolutely. The program started in 2010 and we are about to start our fourth year. I’m proud and I’m happy — some of the kids who started the soccer camp four years ago are now preparing for college and university, another wants to be part of the Toronto police. These are good things the kids are working toward, and that is the ideal goal of the entire soccer camp.

How much of your time do you commit to the program?

I spend about six hours every weekend from May to September running the soccer camp where I spend about $500-600 of my own money over that period. It is not that much, but it’s something that I am passionate about, and it feels really good to do something right hoping there will be a huge positive impact.

What is your vision for the program going into the future?

I currently have 25 kids who are in the program; it would be very hard to manage any more. If we had a program that was supported by the city, we could have 50 to 60 kids on different soccer fields. I would like to see the girls get involved, too, because they need to have a program. And I think we can create a really solid program for both girls and boys.

There will be an initial cost, but I think the impact in the community would be significant, and not just in sports, but in all other fields like music and arts — it can make a real difference.