Why after Tottenham and Fulham, Tanvie Hans wants to play football for Team India

From Tottenham and Fulham to The Amateur League in Bengaluru, Tanvie Hans talks about how football kicked-off in her life
Twenty-five-year old Tanvie Hans is proof that football is no more just a man's game
Twenty-five-year old Tanvie Hans is proof that football is no more just a man's game
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Football isn't just a man's game. Tanvie Hans, a 25-year-old Delhi-based footballer, is living proof of that. Currently, in Bengaluru, Hans plays for multiple clubs across the country with her latest conquest being her selection to play in The Amateur League, which is otherwise only for men.

Just do it: Tanvie was a part of the Nike ad Campaign ‘Da Da Ding’ as 1 of 9 selected female Indian athletes

How did she go from kicking a ball on a field in Delhi to playing for the Tottenham Spurs? Tanvie elaborates, "I started playing football when I was about eight. I always played football with the boys because I believed that it is never a 'girl amongst boys' situation, but a 'footballer amongst footballers' one. I was always a sporty girl and I fell in love with football when I watched a couple of boys play in school. Even though I used to play a variety of sports, I instantly knew that I had a special connection with football when I started playing. I wanted to pursue it more and more and play at whatever level I could."

I always played football with the boys because I believed that it is never a 'girl amongst boys' situation, but a 'footballer amongst footballers'

Tanvie Hans, Footballer

Fortunately for her, every institution she went to chose to aid her journey, "When I was in middle school I was sent to Vasant Valley Public School, which was the first school in Delhi to introduce an all-girls football team. The basics of football kicked in and my football journey really started from there." From there on in, Tanvie explains how her football dreams just kept growing, "I joined Jesus and Mary College in Delhi and as far as I am concerned they had the best women's football team, and till date, they still do. I knew that education was important and I did not neglect it. I was also on a constant lookout for football academies that would take time to invest in me and I found a coach who was open to personal coaching," she adds. 

Captain cool:  Tanvie  captained a team full of men at The Amateur League held at Bengaluru in year 2018

From then on, she started playing for clubs, schools and eventually Delhi state. "It sounds like I played a lot of football but my exposure was very scarce and this was one of the biggest challenges I've had to face and probably is something that girls face even now," she recalls. And then she went abroad to do her PG and her big British break happened. She explains, "I went to Exeter University and I played for the team there. This was my first exposure to English women's Football and I obviously loved how extremely structured and professional football was there. The standard of football played there was beyond reach. This was one of the reasons why I switched to becoming a British citizen. I went on for tryouts at three different clubs and made it to the Tottenham Hotspur Ladies FC. I played for the club two years in a row, after which I joined the Fulham Ladies FC."

As excited as she was because she got to be a part of an amazing football team in the UK, her heart was all for India, "I have always had a heart for India and I was few of the very fortunate ones who got to play in England at pretty decent levels. I have always considered it a privilege and responsibility to give back to the country that invested in my dream. I also know for a fact that if a difference can be made by me, it can be made over here in India. But it's never easy and it is a lot of work. I was restricted from playing for India because of my British citizenship and I am in the process of converting my citizenship to Indian. It's not an easy procedure and I'm trying very hard. Hopefully, 2019 is my year and I can be a part of Indian football here on," she concludes.

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