Sporting challenges

both ways

Excitement, enthusiasm, emotion and dedication define this game and my love for it. I don’t really remember when exactly it happened but my love for football dates back to my childhood days and it went on to become more than just a game for me. It became a matter of faith and life where my entire life revolved around the sport and the discipline while pursuing it helped immensely in moulding my character.

While I was following my passion, simultaneously I completed my high school from Amity International School, Saket and graduated in BCom from Delhi University’s Jesus and Mary College. This was the time when I represented India for a constant six years in Women’s Football. My first tournament as part of the India team was for the U-19 AFC Qualifiers at Kuala Lumpur in 2008.

Since then I have been part of the Indian team. I went on to join the senior team after much hard work and now I am a part of it as the goalkeeper for the past four years. The 2014 Asian Games in South Korea was my last tournament wearing the Indian jersey, before I finally decided to pursue my higher education in sports management.

It was a tough choice for me to put my practice on hold and pursue my masters, but, to stay connected with the sport even after I would retire from playing football, there was no better option than shifting from on-pitch to off-pitch. A decision so big required me to choose a good university. As there weren’t many options available to study sports management in India, compromising made no sense. So, I applied to a couple of universities in the UK.

Loughborough University seemed quite promising owing to highly ranked Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences School in the UK university league tables. The school is widely reputed across the globe for its advancing research and knowledge. I decided “This is it!”

From Day 1, the University has been very welcoming, right from lecturers of the course to the staff members of the administration. The quality of teaching and research offered to us makes our course highly competitive in the field. Moreover, the friendly and cooperative environment didn’t make me feel like a newbie. While pursuing my programme, I did not let go of my fervor for playing football and therefore stepped into the athletic union to play football for the university.

As much as I love the academic aspect of Loughborough University, the social life here is equally fantastic. There is always something related to sports or other extra-curricular activities, to indulge in. Being a part of the coaching and volunteering department has helped me acquire some practical knowledge of being disciplined and working well with others.

Therefore, once I finish my masters programme, I intend to either look for some internships and jobs here in the UK or may simply head back to India and work towards keeping my spirit for football alive both on and off-field.

With my experience so far, Loughborough University comes as a sure shot recommendation to all the students in India who want to live their dream and simultaneously emerge as highly employable graduates with remarkable skill base. As for me, being here is an experience that I will cherish my entire life.