Paris: ex-international Vikash Dhorasoo at Health to celebrate the Prisoners' World Cup

At the prison of Health, Brazil is on the third floor.

It is here, at QH 5, that the best footballers are locked up.

These seven prisoners, who had chosen the Auriverde selection as their coat of arms, have just won the tournament for the second time in a row.

Nearly 245 prisoners, divided into 35 teams, clashed for three weeks.

This year was a bit special.

World Cup obliges, to add a little spice, the players were invited to choose a national team.

And in the end, Brazil won.

To celebrate, the instructors at the origin of the project brought this Friday morning to the Health two associations whose members are comfortable with the ball.

There were players from "Sofa 93", based in Saint-Ouen, a city from which some Brazilians from QH 5 are from. And "Tatane", founded a little over ten years ago by former international footballer Vikash Dhorasoo.

The former midfielder for the France team, who played in the World Cup in Germany in 2006, therefore played.

And for a football fan, facing a former pro, international moreover, it's a sacred memory.

"The world does not stop at the walls of our prison", rejoices Ulysses, detained at Health

“We are not used to having visits like that, smiles Ulysse, one of the pillars of the Brazilians of QH 5. It reminds us that the world does not stop at the walls of our prison”.

Bruno Clément-Petremann, the director of Health, a fan of Lens and Marseille, comes to take a look at the rather special entertainment that is taking place this Friday.

“Football is really very popular in prison, he slips.

This is an opportunity to remember that detainees are also citizens.

“It is not because we are deprived of freedom that we are deprived of rights”, abounds Ulysse.

"Gennaro" is not deprived of balls on the floor.

The native of Rosny-sous-Bois (Seine-Saint-Denis), so nicknamed because of his resemblance to the hero of the Gomorra series, has a string of goals for "Brazil".

Nine in one morning thanks to his big left-footed ball strike.

“I take pleasure in phew, laughs the one who has just been sentenced to 19 years in prison for a murder case.

It's good to see people outside.

And then the challenge aspect is very nice”.

“It brings out a spirit of competition that they no longer necessarily have on a daily basis, notes a supervisor.

And then that takes them out of the prison box for a few hours”.

“A moment of sharing” for Vikash Dhorasoo

This spirit of competition, we feel it well during the gala matches this Friday morning.

If technically, the teams are equal, in terms of motivation, the “locals” are clearly superior.

This is what makes the difference during these meetings which take place in a very good state of mind.

"Yet I'm supposed to be quite fresh," breathes Vikash Dhorasoo, who has just asked for his replacement after a few minutes.

If in the game, the former international is not really to his advantage this Friday morning, he is on the other hand "very happy with this moment of sharing".

“I had already been to Fleury-Mérogis (Essonne) in the past.

This is one of the things we do with Tatane to create social ties.