Manisha scored dream goal after battling multiple odds

New Delhi, Nov 26 (PTI): Manisha Kalyan was up against multiple odds long before she sold a feint to her marker and fired a left footer into the bottom corner of Brazilian net in India’s first match of the four-nation tournament in faraway Manaus.
The Indian women’s football team scored once and kept mighty Brazil at bay till late in the first half but eventually lost 1-6.
Winger Manisha equalised in the eighth minute for India after Debora Oliveira had put the 2007 World Cup runners-up in the lead in the very first minute of the match at the Arena da Amazonia.
“It was a dream come true for me to play against Brazil and to score against them was the icing on the cake,” said Manisha, who was later seen getting clicked with Brazil’s legendary midfielder Formiga Mota, who was felicitated by all parties present after the game, as she hung up her boots.
Needless to say, it was a big deal for the Indian scorer. “To be on the same pitch as her (Formiga) was a big deal. I hope we can learn from this experience and do better in the next game,” added Manisha.
“We always knew it was going to be difficult against a team of Brazil’s quality. But as soon as we stepped onto the field, we forgot about the pressure. That is what we need to do in the upcoming matches and play with an open mind.” Like many female footballers from across the world, Manisha’s journey too had its share of challenges right from her early days, in the small village of Muggowal in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district.
“I’ve been playing since I was 13, when I switched over from athletics to football after my coach Brahmji-sir asked me to change sports. The teamwork involved in football was really interesting to me, and I fell in love with this game,” Manisha recalled.
While not everyone from her village supported Manisha’s decision to take up the game, the player had the full support of her parents.
“Many in my village did not want me to keep playing. A girl playing football was just not acceptable to them. But my parents stuck right by my side and game me all the support I needed,” she said.

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