Forged in Fire: Ashoka Women's Football Team

Perseverance. For the seventh edition of Ashoka’s sports fest ‘Agneepath’, Edict Sports decided to sit down and talk to members of the women’s football team including the current leadership, Priyanshi Singh (UG2023) and Sanjna Sridhar (UG2023) along with Nihar Roy (UG2024) and Susanna John (UG2024). After I had finished completing the set of interviews, I sat down, wondering how I could put down the stories and insights I had gleaned from my conversations onto paper for the Ashokan audience. I decided to build this article on one word and in this case, one of the words that almost perfectly describes the journey and attitude of our women’s team – perseverance. 

When the current third years in the team first entered the squad back in 2023, the women’s team was a force to be reckoned with. Powered by the likes of Anandita Saksena, Manya Malhotra, Dhrthi Bhatt and Neeta Kumari, the team was basking in good form. So, when Anaaya Ravishankar (UG2023) and Maleah Mehta (UG2023) took on the mantle of captain and vice-captain respectively in the Monsoon of 2024, they faced the daunting task of rebuilding this squad from the ground up. When asked about her biggest challenge while leading the team for the first time, Mehta reflected, “We were excited to take on the responsibility of building a new chapter for the women’s team” - the same team that takes the field for Ashoka today. 

Watching the women’s team practice or play during their tournaments makes it evident that the chemistry and camaraderie between this group of players is immense. Building and sustaining this chemistry between the players was quite a challenge. However, the leadership decided to do something that hadn’t been done in the team’s history before - a delegational and inclusive approach to leading the team where instead of decisions being driven solely by the captain and vice-captain, every player was encouraged to voice their opinions and provide feedback on training sessions. “This helped us build trust within the team besides encouraging players to take ownership and feel one with the team”, expressed Sridhar. This style of leadership carried forward in the Monsoon of 2025 when Priyanshi and Sanjna took up the roles of captain and vice captain, respectively. 

This inclusive approach to team building has been incredibly successful in fostering team chemistry and camaraderie. “Initially, I was scared while leading the team for the first time during tournaments but it was relieving to know that I had so many people I could fall back on and trust during difficult moments”, expressed Priyanshi. Naturally, this chemistry reflects on the field as well. The women’s team at Ashoka is one of the better known ones and have had considerable success in the recent past. This includes a gold medal at IIT Roorkee, silver medals at Magnus and SNU and a quarter-finals finish at BITS Goa. 

Of course, one of the main drivers steering this ship is none other than Prem Sir, the much loved coach of the women’s football team. While most coaches are stereotyped as being strict and difficult, Prem Sir is a breath of fresh air for the team. Emphasizing his importance to the team, the players laud his ability to emotionally understand and connect with the players, knowing exactly when to push them and when to keep his thoughts to himself. “It’s almost as if he’s one with the team, as much a member of the team as any of us”, expressed Priyanshi. Having a coach that the players can speak to about anything at all, without any hesitation is a huge boon to the team. 

While the path to reconstruction has provided fruitful results, the team has faced roadblocks along the way. In what seems to be a concerning pattern across sports at Ashoka, the women’s football team has had their share of setbacks owing to injuries. The football field that the team regularly practices on is sub-par at best with the lousy conditions causing injuries ranging from ankle sprains to ACL tears. While the administration and the sports department are expected to own responsibility for these poor conditions, Ashoka’s women’s football team has also decided to look inwards. In response to the rise of injuries, the leadership decided to increase strengthening sessions for the squad as well as continued rehabilitation sessions for injured players. 

The team has somehow managed to turn their misfortune with injuries into an opportunity to deepen their bond with each other. Despite being injured, players still show up during practice hours and cheer their team on, helping in whatever capacity they can. This ensures that players still feel part of the team and its process during their rehabilitation, making sure that their return to the team is seamless. 

However, the players hope for more in terms of growing the culture of women’s football at Ashoka. Despite receiving several signups to the team, there still seems to be a lack of recognition within the Ashokan community towards the team. Priyanshi and Sanjna feel like this should change, urging Ashokans to come support the team, be it a big tournament or a practice game. Team practices are also open to the student community and women are encouraged to come and participate, even if they have little to no experience playing football. “Coming to team practices and participating can even be an escape from the rigorous academic routines that students have”, reflected Priyanshi who stressed the importance of balancing one’s academic and extracurricular activities. 

Today, this Ashokan women’s team picked up the gold medal at their home tournament, defeating BML Munjal in the finals, a true reflection of their journey and the hard work they put in. This is their second gold medal this academic year and if they haven’t convinced you by now of their fight and the lengths they’re willing to go to, I doubt anyone can. Time and again, they keep proving that this is a team that the Ashokan community needs to take a proper look at.