Panthoi Chanu was going through a dark phase a couple of years ago. Having fractured her right shin, she was bedridden for 45 days, wondering what the future held for her. But the goalkeeper, who hails from Manipur’s Keirak village, refused to give up on her dreams and worked her way back into the national team. Two years on, she’s poised to become the first Indian footballer to play professionally in Australia.
The 28-year-old, who played for India against Kosovo and Hong Kong in Turkey recently, will be representing Metro United WFC in the South Australian Women’s National Premier League this season. “I’m so excited to have the opportunity to play abroad and show what an Indian girl can do,” she said from Adelaide.
It was at a 2021 camp in Goa with the Indian team where Panthoi suffered the career-threatening injury. Playing in a practice match against the India U-17 boys team, she hurt her shin severely and spent a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
“My team left for an exposure tour soon after and I was all alone,” she said. “I couldn’t even lift my leg and would keep crying. The pain was immense.”
To make matters worse, she ended up injuring the same shin in January 2022 and was ruled out for another couple of weeks. “I won’t take names but there were some coaches who said I wouldn’t be able to play well again. They had no confidence in me and even told me off,” she said.
Despite all the uncertainties, Panthoi managed to get her career back on track. She was aided by Women in Sports, which sent her to Spain to recover and train, and kept rising steadily before landing a historic deal in Australia.
Having a battle on her hands is something Panthoi has always relished. In fact, the opportunity to grind it out is what attracted her to football in the first place. After picking up the sport in school, she played at the Women’s Football Academy in Odisha from 2008 to 2012 before moving to Eastern Sporting Union for the next five years. She was selected for the India U-16 and U-19 sides and made her senior team debut in 2014.
“No one in my family plays sports, they’re all into academics,” she said. “But I got a lot of support from my parents. They would take me to practice and wait to get me back home as well. Although I didn’t really understand the tactical aspect of the sport initially, I enjoyed the hard work and fighting spirit. I’m glad I found football because it provided an outlet to show my talent. At times, people feel scared of playing. I have no fear and don’t mind blocking shots, from girls or boys. I need that fight.”
Panthoi, who idolises India forward Bala Devi, is set to represent Metro United WFC until the season ends in September. She’s received great support from her coaches and teammates during her first week in Australia. She is now determined to deliver her best on the field.
For the goalkeeper, this is just the start as she dreams of playing in leagues across the world.
“I’ve had a lot of struggles and feel proud to achieve what I have. But I’m not done and want to show people what I’m capable of,” she said. “I hope I can inspire girls and boys in India to take up sports and show the world what we can do. I feel we’ll keep improving as we get more exposure, which has been the case with players in the Indian team.”
