AHMEDABAD: When 18-yearold Khushbu Saroj walks directly to the pitch at Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon on Aug 6 to stand Indonesia within the AFC U-20 Ladies’s Asian Cup Qualifiers, she’ll lift greater than only a jersey with the Indian tricolour — she’ll lift a dream that after gave the impression unimaginable.The daughter of a humble gardener, Khushbu has been named in India’s 23-member squad for the continental event. Hailing from Ahmedabad, she is joined by means of Tapi district’s Shubhangi Singh as the 2 Gujarat avid gamers within the squad. For Khushbu, this isn’t only a soccer fit — it’s a second of quiet triumph in opposition to years of doubt, social resistance, and hardship.“My father works as a gardener in folks’s properties. He was once ridiculed by means of his pals for letting me depart the home in shorts to play soccer,” Khushbu remembers. “He would incessantly inform me, ‘ Kuch bhi nahi rakha in sab cheezo mein ’ (There’s no long term in such issues). However my mom and sisters by no means gave up on me. They have been my energy.”Her adventure started within the slim lanes of Ahmedabad, the place she first kicked a ball after observing seniors play at her college. What began as interest briefly became a zeal. However the trail wasn’t simple. Her father’s reluctance and societal judgment weighed closely at the circle of relatives. Nonetheless, Khushbu endured.It wasn’t till she earned a place within the Gujarat state workforce that her father’s angle started to shift. “Once I in any case wore the India jersey and returned from Thailand after my first global event, my folks got here to obtain me. They have been stuffed with satisfaction,” she says, a grin audible in her voice.Her trainer at Kahaani FC, Lalita Saini, performed a pivotal position in her upward thrust. “Lalita ma’am was once like a 2d mom. She guided me in the whole thing – nutrition, self-discipline, psychological energy. Once I were given injured in 2022 and my folks requested if I must surrender the game, Lalita ma’am instructed me accidents are simply a part of a participant’s lifestyles. The true tale is in making a return.”Khushbu’s father’s phrases nowadays are a stark distinction to the doubts of previous: “I used to forestall her when she went for coaching. Nowadays, I’m pleased with her.”Her mom’s eyes neatly up as she added, “Other folks used to mock her. Nowadays appears like a dream. We by no means imagined our daughter would play for India.”From Ahmedabad to Yangon, Khushbu Saroj’s tale is one in every of perseverance, hobby, and quiet revolution – a testomony to the facility of trust in oneself.