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Football
Nadia Nighat becomes the first Kashmiri Girl to Head J&K Female Football Team
Jammu Kashmir Female football team is all set to turn some heads against Pondicherry on 2nd of February (Friday) at Odisha. The team is led by Kashmir's first female football coach and referee, Nadia Nighat, who hails from the Rambagh area of Kashmir's capital Srinagar. The Senior National Championship for Women is being held in Odisha where the Jammu Kashmir team will play its first match against Pondichery. This is for the first time that majority of the women footballers from Kashmir are representing the team. Nadiya is the first player from Kashmir Valley who will represent the team as its Captain. Nadiya Nighat, who also runs her own football club told the press, 'Out of total 20 players from the State, 12 are from Kashmir Valley. This is for the first time that girls from Kashmir have outnumbered their Jammu friends.' Apart from Nadiya, some of the other players from Kashmir include Saabia, Rukiya, Saika, Iynan, Uqba, Tamana, Insha, Alka, Zeenat and Mehnaz. Nadiya told the press,'These are all fresher's and I hope they will give their best in the tournament.' Until this time, most of the players used to come from the Jammu side; this time women players from Kashmir have started showing their interest in sports. Source: India Times While talking about her passion for football, Nadiya told the press, 'I grew up playing football with boys and I always gave my best and never suffered from any inferiority complex.' She added, 'It was my hard work, passion, and performance that in 2015, the All India Football Association declared me the 'best referee' for officiating a boys football tournament in the State.Where I stand today, it is just because of my father who always encouraged me. My father believes in me and never makes me feel that I can't do what boys are capable of.' Times are changing for sure and the progressive changes from the Northern tip of the nation are very evident from this changing and increasing participation from the Kashmiri portion of the state.
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