Daughter of an imam, Sumaiyya is a future India star

Sumaiyya Shaikh, 16, the daughter of an imam from a mosque in Ahmednagar, was one of the star footballers in the Maharashtra State Olympic Games 2023 that concluded here on Monday.

She not only knocked in seven goals for her team Pune, including two hat-tricks, but also impressed everybody with her speed and dribbling skills. In fact, her coaches at the Krida Prabodhini football academy believe that she is a future India star.

"We are very fortunate to get a girl like her. She has all the attributes to make a great player -- talent, good game sense, dedication and an iron will to succeed. Even the boys are in awe of her," says Dhiraj Mishra, head coach of the academy.

"She is talented beyond her age and will go far. I am confident that she has a bright future," concurs Rutuja Gunwant, a city-based football coach.

Sumaiyya has already attended the India U-17 national camp and has already been dubbed as one of the "future superstars". Her father couldn't hold back his tears when this was conveyed to him.

"I want to become a big player and want to go as far as possible," Sumaiyya says with utmost conviction. Her coaches and numerous fans are confident she will go all the way.

Sumaiyya took up football for fun at a very young age, and after a little coaxing, her father agreed to allow her to pursue her passion. The family, though, faced the ire of their conservative community which refused to condone her entry into the football arena.

"It was tough, but I was determined to play. My father supported me but he could not afford much. I used to wear the same pair of studs for 2-3 years before I got a replacement," she remembers of her early struggles.

Things changed when the current 10th standard student was scouted for the state government funded-Krida Prabodhini residential academy at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Balewadi four years ago and she blossomed under the tutelage of the coaches.