Indian football Senior Women's National Team winger, Manisha Kalyan, said that to play against Brazil was like a 'dream' come true for her.
India went down 1-6 to Brazil in the opening game of the Women's International football tournament at the Amazon Arena in Manaus, Brazil on Friday.
Manisha Kalyan's equaliser was one of the bright moments for India along with goalkeeper Aditi Chauhan's performance on a night where the hosts were in a dominant mood.
"It was a dream come true for me to play against Brazil and to score against them was the icing on the cake. 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," said Manisha Kalyan as reported by AIFF.
"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," she added.
Like many female footballers from across the world, however, Manisha's journey has been one of struggle, right from her early days in a small village called Muggowal, Manisha was up against the odds.
"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.
"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 gave me all the support I needed," she added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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