She Shoots, She Saves: Kashmir Footballer Afshan Ashiq Chases Neymar and PSG Glory

ETVBHARAT

From Bemina in Srinagar to the broad turf dreams of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Afshan's journey is both fierce and fragile--fierce in defiance, fragile in memory.

Transcript

00:00When I decided to go out of Kashmir, because in Kashmir there were no opportunities and competitions for kids.

00:13No doubt, I started my own academy for girls, so that they had a fear that we don't want to train with our children as a male coach.

00:25If you want us to send our girls to the ground, we need a female coach.

00:29There was one more girl with me who had helped me, worked on women's football.

00:35So, we thought that we should be licensed so that we can get the knowledge of football,

00:41what is the scope of football.

00:44We decided to do a license and coaching.

00:46We decided to do a license and coach.

00:48We decided to do a license and coach.

00:50We decided that we should support them.

00:52But my childhood was to become a player.

00:55I don't want to become a coach.

00:57I wanted to play some level.

00:59I wanted to represent myself.

01:01I wanted to know where I am and how much hard work I have done for my game.

01:05So, when I first played my professional match, no doubt it was not like my expectations.

01:13It was not like my expectations.

01:14It was not like my expectations.

01:15But I got a seek from my professional match.

01:18I wanted to make my position.

01:19You should have to come and keep my confidence high.

01:20My dad never played my game.

01:25Literally, he probably did not have one time to discern.

01:28I wondered, now we will not be able to support this very well.

01:30But he just watched, only played as a player.

01:31but when he saw me playing, he literally cried, he cried so much on the ground

01:40and in Mumbai, I had a cold winter, I had a full kitchen and he hugged me like that

01:47he said that I didn't know that you are so hard, you are so good, you are so good

01:52you are so good, you are so good, you are so good, that I will stop you

01:56that was the biggest achievement, medals definitely, you are hard work

02:00and you will get medals, but when you get the support of the family

02:04which you need, it is less than any medal from any medal

02:08for me, that was the most special moment and proud moment

02:12that my dad recognized me, people do it, but when your family recognizes

02:18that yes, the child has helped me and his name has made himself

02:22so he should support her, so that was a big deal

02:25when I won the first professional game, trust me, I had never imagined

02:31that I could play with such big international players

02:35but God gave us a prayer and his work, that's why I could do it

02:42you know, people in Kashmir, most people judge from the clothes

02:48that a girl is what's going on, his character is the same

02:52but no, we cannot judge from the clothes

02:54we cannot judge from the clothes, and I don't go outside

02:58I know, I follow my own religion, I am a Muslim girl

03:03no doubt, that there are restrictions on our religion

03:07but our religion, we have not closed

03:09that you cannot do it

03:11there are a few guidelines that you can follow

03:13definitely you can play

03:15and society, my neighbors, I definitely want to say that

03:20my society, my neighbors, but my neighbors

03:23they have always supported me

03:25first of all, they were very proud

03:27that there was a girl in our area

03:29and she is doing really great

03:31even though they came to my house

03:33and my mom and dad told me

03:35that your daughter is doing really good

03:37and you should support me

03:39but no doubt, if some people say good

03:41then some people say bad

03:43like my relatives

03:45there were many people who wanted me to

03:47that I couldn't do anything

03:49that I couldn't do anything

03:51but I am thankful to them

03:53that they gave me that

03:55that I couldn't do anything

03:57that I couldn't do anything

03:59that I couldn't do anything

04:01that I couldn't do anything

04:03that I couldn't do anything

04:05and I will prove that

04:07society, when I had my jersey pack

04:09we had a lot of struggle

04:11even on the ground

04:13we didn't have a changing room

04:15we didn't have a change

04:17we used to wear it

04:19and we used to wear it

04:21and wear it

04:23and wear it

04:25so that we had to go

04:27and go to the changing room

04:29we used to travel

04:31we used to wear it

04:33and wear it

04:35but this time

04:37there was a

04:39sports secretary of our

04:41Vahidur Rahmanpara

04:43they helped us

04:45if they didn't

04:47that time

04:48then definitely

04:49I wouldn't be here

04:51because

04:53they said

04:55that you need

04:57that moral support

04:59financial support

05:01if you have that moral support

05:03then you can go ahead

05:05so that was a moral support

05:07they always pushed me

05:09if you left

05:11now do something

05:12so that people

05:13tell me

05:14that they have done

05:15so that was a support

05:17for me

05:19even though

05:20I told them

05:21what they said

05:22this is not happening

05:23this is not happening

05:24he always used to say

05:25no worries

05:26you will get it

05:27no doubt

05:28within no time

05:29when I started

05:31when I started

05:32I was thinking

05:33when I started

05:34the girls

05:35that started

05:36to be the first

05:37changing room

05:38we had to change

05:39in the changing room

05:40so I will always thank him

05:41that because of

05:42his girls

05:43that little football journey

05:44and that

05:45his life

05:46has been

05:47quite easy

05:48because

05:49families

05:50now

05:51we have a need

05:52to change

05:53I started when I started.

05:55So, I started to go to the ground and get taunt.

05:59What would be the girl to do?

06:01I would go to the girls.

06:03Because there was no team here.

06:05There was no team here.

06:07There was no team in football.

06:09So, I always train with the girls.

06:11So, I would make myself better.

06:13Because the girls' level is definitely good.

06:15So, I had a lot of girls.

06:17So, I had a lot of girls.

06:19So, I had a lot of girls.

06:21So, there were many girls who supported me.

06:23And many girls who said.

06:25They said.

06:27We will not do anything with this.

06:29We will not reach anywhere.

06:31So, we will do this.

06:33But, if you are with God.

06:35You will definitely be your work.

06:37I always wanted to play in the middle.

06:39Or in the defense.

06:41But,

06:43I always wanted to play in the middle.

06:45But, my coach.

06:47I always wanted to play in the middle.

06:49When I was a coach.

06:51So, I was a coach.

06:53And if you had a coach.

06:55But, my coach.

06:57I was a coach.

06:59And I always wanted to play in the middle.

07:01So, I was a coach.

07:03And, I was a coach.

07:05And, I was a coach.

07:07But then our course was going on, there is one renowned footballer from Jomu and Kashmir,

07:15Sajid Usofdar.

07:17We were sitting in the course, so the course was finished.

07:23He said, sit, I have heard that you are training goalkeeper.

07:27So I said, yes sir.

07:29So he showed me a goalkeeper video.

07:31She was a US goalkeeper, Hope Solo.

07:35I was inspired by his training videos and his match videos.

07:39I was so inspired.

07:41That was the day when I had taken care of.

07:43Now I became a keeper.

07:45Because I felt like a keeper is the easiest job in football.

07:49Keeper doesn't have to do much more.

07:51He is standing on the goal post.

07:53But actually, when I got into that thing as a goalkeeper,

07:57I realized that goalkeeper is the riskiest job.

08:01I got into that goalkeeper.

08:03I got into that goalkeeper,

08:05i have to go out and make a goalkeeper.

08:07So that's because the goalkeeper is the best goalkeeper.

08:09I mean, it's the best goalkeeper.

08:11This is the best goalkeeper.

08:13So I got into that goalkeeper.

08:15You got into that goalkeeper.

08:17seed kehttay hai to woh ds ke ds se us ko i nhi dhekhta ki hamne itan e aachhe sez

08:21diye but woh ek goal yad rahjata hai loogon ko. To is wajah se fir mene decide kiya

08:26ki nahin I'll always become a goalkeeper. Aur ma aapni height ka bhi fayda uthana

08:31chahti thi. Kiunki indian woman football waisi height naihi thi kisii ke pats. To

08:37maine nne us cheez ka bhi advantage uthaya. Aur bhout saari cheezhe thi jayase matlab

08:42eek opportunity tabhi milti hai jab aap eek plan ke saath chalo. To mere koach ka

08:48hii kehna ta ki har ek striker banna chahta hai, har ek midfielder banna chahta hai

08:53but goalkeeper koji nahi banna chaata hai. And you will get less competition but

08:57woh toh yahan pe less competition tha but when we when I went out to dekha ki

09:02sabse zyadha beat to goalkeepers ki hai and un keepers me fir khud ko outstand karana, shine

09:09ki nahi you are the best target, tummeh opportunities mle. Was hard but mujhe

09:15loog hunne bhout support diya bhaar bhi. Jitna support mujhe kashmir me nini mila

09:19definitely utna support mujhe bhaar mila hunne. They were happy ki kashmir se bhi

09:24koji ladki itna guts karke bhaar aai hai and all by all her own ki woh sab akelay kar

09:31rhe hai. Toh hunne bhi mujhe support kiya, opportunities di mujhe. Ahm. Or kiatay na ki ah jab aap kisi

09:38chiz ko chaatay ho na sache dill se to definitely loog bhi aap ko push karte hai us

09:43chiz ke liye.

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