AHMEDABAD: When 18-yearold Khushbu Saroj walks on to the pitch at Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon on Aug 6 to face Indonesia within the AFC U-20 Girls’s Asian Cup Qualifiers, she’ll carry greater than only a jersey with the Indian tricolour — she’ll carry a dream that when appeared not possible.The daughter of a humble gardener, Khushbu has been named in India’s 23-member squad for the continental match. Hailing from Ahmedabad, she is joined by Tapi district’s Shubhangi Singh as the 2 Gujarat gamers within the squad. For Khushbu, this isn’t only a soccer match — it’s a second of quiet triumph in opposition to years of doubt, social resistance, and hardship.“My father works as a gardener in folks’s properties. He was ridiculed by his pals for letting me depart the home in shorts to play soccer,” Khushbu recollects. “He would typically inform me, ‘ Kuch bhi nahi rakha in sab cheezo mein ’ (There’s no future in such issues). However my mom and sisters by no means gave up on me. They have been my power.”Her journey started within the slim lanes of Ahmedabad, the place she first kicked a ball after watching seniors play at her faculty. What began as curiosity rapidly became a ardour. However the path wasn’t straightforward. Her father’s reluctance and societal judgment weighed closely on the household. Nonetheless, Khushbu persevered.It wasn’t till she earned a spot within the Gujarat state staff that her father’s angle started to shift. “Once I lastly wore the India jersey and returned from Thailand after my first worldwide match, my mother and father got here to obtain me. They have been full of satisfaction,” she says, a smile audible in her voice.Her coach at Kahaani FC, Lalita Saini, performed a pivotal position in her rise. “Lalita ma’am was like a second mom. She guided me in all the things – eating regimen, self-discipline, psychological power. Once I received injured in 2022 and my mother and father requested if I ought to stop the game, Lalita ma’am instructed me accidents are simply a part of a participant’s life. The actual story is in making a comeback.”Khushbu’s father’s phrases immediately are a stark distinction to the doubts of previous: “I used to cease her when she went for coaching. Right this moment, I’m pleased with her.”Her mom’s eyes nicely up as she added, “Folks used to mock her. Right this moment seems like a dream. We by no means imagined our daughter would play for India.”From Ahmedabad to Yangon, Khushbu Saroj’s story is one in every of perseverance, ardour, and quiet revolution – a testomony to the ability of perception in oneself.
