Hero Image

Hoshiarpur girl Manisha kicks up a storm with football skills

CHANDIGARH: Manisha dribbled past prejudice and financial difficulties to reach her goal of playing for the national football team, grabbing the attention of everyone and becoming one of the special talents to look out for in the next season.


The girl from Mugowal village in Punjab's Hoshiarpur district started as an athlete before the beautiful game attracted her.

"In school, I was in athletics. One day, my coach asked me to try my hand at football, when I was 13. I enjoyed the teamwork, and fell in love instantly," said Manisha. "In athletics, it is all about individualism, but in football, you have to work together as a team to win," she said.

Manisha made her senior team debut against Hong Kong in January 2019, but the journey was not easy. Her father runs a small cosmetic shop in the village and is the sole breadwinner in the household. Besides financial issues, she had to face unrelenting interference of pesky neighbours.


"As I used to play football with boys, a few people in my village had a problem. They used to say that being a girl, I should not play with them. To be honest, their mean comments were hard to fathom had it not been for my father. He always supported me and stood with me right from the start. It is because of his support that I am playing now," said the 18-year-old.

The turning point in Manisha's career came when she was named in the Indian U-17 team that participated in the BRICS Football Cup in South Africa in 2018. Later that year in October, she played a crucial role in the team's memorable victory against Thailand in the AFC U-19 qualifiers, providing an assist for the match-winner after a powerful solo run. Impressed by her performance, India's women's head coach Maymol Rocky summoned her to the national camp in January 2019. And, she made her national debut.

Manisha continued her goal-scoring run. Earlier this year, she played a key role in Gokulam Kerala FC winning the Indian Women's League (IWL) title. She was named the emerging player of the tournament.

"It was a really wonderful experience playing in the Hero IWL and winning the championship. We worked really hard as a team and playing in the tournament helped me understand where I stand among the country's best footballers. I have learned a lot from the number of quality players around me and I know the areas in my game where I need to work on," said Manisha.


Like any other youngster in the country, Manisha too is a big fan of Bala Devi , the first Indian woman to earn a professional football contract abroad after signing for Scottish giant Ranger FC .

"Bala di is a great player and an inspiration for all of us. I remember she was my roommate once and it was amazing to speak with her. There is so much to learn from her. We both play in the same position (forward) and she gave me a lot of invaluable advice as how to react in certain match situations, how to prepare for games mentally," said Manisha.

Manisha's ultimate dream is to play in the World Cup.

"I know it's tough but unless you have a target you can't improve as a player," said the youngster.

It is going to be a long road for Manisha to achieve that dream. But the forward definitely knows the importance of patience and perseverance, and that she is just off the block.

READ ON APP