Barefoot beginnings, national dreams: How tribal girl from Jharkhand became U-17 Indian football’s ‘Goal Machine’

On December 26, Anuskha Kumari/Munda, nicknamed the ‘The Goal Machine’, was given the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar by President of India Droupadi Murmu for her achievements in the Under-17 Indian football team — the only one in her team to receive the award.

Anushka, who comes from a family of daily wagers, is one of the youngest Adivasi athletes to be honoured by the President.

For Anushka and her family from Jharkhand’s Munda tribe, the award — for which the family travelled to Vigyan Bhavan in Delhi — had significant import: it was an endorsement of their tribal identity by Murmu, the country’s first tribal President.

Anushka, who comes from a family of daily wagers, is one of the youngest Adivasi athletes to be honoured by the President.

“It was a once-in-a-lifetime moment,” her mother Ritu Devi tells The Indian Express. “It’s such a great chance for my daughter to receive this award from her before she finishes her term.”

Anushka comes from a family of daily wagers, and her first coach was her aunt, Soni Kumari. The village’s only other national player, Soni Kumari is currently an assistant football coach.

In 2021, Anushka was selected for a free football residential training centre in Hazaribagh. The centre provided accommodation, meals and training.

In 2021, Anushka was selected for a free football residential training centre in Hazaribagh. The centre provided accommodation, meals and training.

Although she started out as an attacking midfielder, she eventually transitioned to striker, her diminutive frame masking a powerful performer.

While the Hazaribagh centre gave her direction and allowed her to play for Jharkhand, her real break came at the Sub Junior National Football Championship, where her performance secured her a camp call and earned her a place in India’s U-16 squad at the SAFF women’s championship in Nepal.

Although India lost the final to Bangladesh, it was at this tournament that Anuskha scored her first international hat-trick, against Bhutan. She was also named the top scorer of the U-17 SAFF Championship in Bhutan in August last year.

Two months later, her team sealed their place at the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup by defeating Uzbekistan 2-1 at the Dolen Omurzakov Stadium in Bishkek. The tournament will be held in China between April 30 and May 17 this year.

Through it all, there were other battles to be fought back home — against poverty.

At their crumbling brick home in the village, Anushka’s father Dinesh Munda stands next to her, leaning on a stick for support. His wide smile carries a hint of sadness.

“My father was also a football player in his time,” Anushka explains. “While working on a construction site two years ago, heavy equipment fell on his leg. Now, he cannot walk or sit without support.”

While the injury meant he couldn’t travel to Delhi, he watched the entire ceremony from home on a relative’s phone.

Since the incident, Dinesh has been unable to support the family, forcing his wife Ritu Devi to step in.

“I had no TV at home and my parents could not watch me playing. This hurt me. Later, we bought a television and my parents watched my next two international matches,” Anushka says. Her father adds: “How can I not be proud of my daughter? She plays for India.”

Meanwhile, she has another challenge to surmount — school exams next month. Added to that is the fact that her teammates are practising in Bengaluru for the tournament in China.

But as much as she loves football, Anushka knows education is important — especially given the strained finances at home. With her mother and older brother both working at a water manufacturing unit, Anushka knows she needs a backup.

“I won’t miss my exams as we know the condition of sports personalities in India, especially Jharkhand,” she says.

Still, she cherishes quieter times — such as when she played football barefoot in Adivasi-sponsored tournaments and won a goat. At the same time, she wishes for greater recognition, and the fuss that follows it.

“I mean, I don’t really need it, but I can’t figure out why no one from my village or around Jharkhand has ever greeted me with garlands or has come to say hi… Not even political leaders,” she says.