Afshan Ashiq : Here due to the boys I played with

The captain of the J&K women’s

football

team, on the sport, playing with boys and being a youth iconHer expressions and body language alone will tell you that she is a free spirited person.

Afshan Ashiq

, the 22-year-old captain and goalkeeper of the Jammu and Kashmir women’s football team, was in Pune recently to unveil the Swami Vivekananda memorial at

Film and Television Institute of India

(FTII). Currently in Mumbai, training to play for a Mumbai-based football club, Afshan is determined to play for the country someday.

“I had to fight my family to come here. But it was worth it. The coach takes care of everything – from what we eat to how we travel, especially since I am new to Mumbai,” says the girl who hails from Srinagar. Afshan points out that when she arrived in Mumbai around five months ago, her colleagues were surprised to meet a female footballer from Jammu and Kashmir. “They said that they had not seen many female players from Jammu and Kashmir and had a lot of questions about where I come from,” she says, adding that her standard reply to these questions is, “Kashmir aao khud jaan jao.” Afshan also wants to dispel the notion that the natives of her state don’t like army personnel.

Citing an example, Afshan shares, “Recently, an army jawan was injured in an accident in a remote village. It was the natives there who helped him. People do not care about someone’s profession. Just the fact that he was a fellow human in need of help sufficed.”

On being invited to Pune on National Youth Day, Afshan says she considers it an honour. And as a youth icon, her message to youngsters across the country is to not be hesitant in pursuing sports over conventional careers. “It is your life, and you have to decide what you want to do. I did the same, though I was good at studies and my father wanted me to be a doctor,” says Afshan, who believes that sports is the answer to fighting the widespread hatred in our country. “You meet people in and outside the country, understand their perspectives and opinions. Therefore sports is the solution to all problems. When the youth get more exposure, they will be able to show how talented they are. And I am very sure baadlaav jaroor ayega,” she insists.

Afshan, who has been training in Mumbai for a while now, says that it is vastly different experience from her practice sessions back home. “When I started playing football, I was one of the first few girls who played the sport at home. I used to play with the boys and their support is the reason why I am here today. Whenever I gave up, they pushed me saying that I was their inspiration. Here, in Mumbai, it feels great to be amongst so many girls on the field. It is very encouraging.”

Before letting her go, we just had to ask the youngster about the 2016 incident that put her under the national spotlight for the first time. A picture of Afshan pelting stones at the Jammu and Kashmir police went viral and the headlines varied from ‘Stone pelting Kashmiri girl scores a goal for women’s football’ to ‘Hurled stones to protect team mate’. She says, “I was provoked, so I picked up a stone,” refusing to divulge any further details. “The biopic being made by director Manish Harishankar on my life, will give you the exact turn of events,” she concludes.
My Dadi is the reason I am strong. She taught me that women should stand up for themselves – whether against trolling or slut-shaming or body shaming - Afshan Ashiq

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