Known for her pace and dribbling skills, Dangmei Grace knows that everything will be different and difficult during her time in Uzbekistan, where she aspires to be a “good ambassador” for Indian football.
The Indian striker recently fulfilled her dream of playing abroad by signing a professional contract with FC Nasaf of Uzbekistan.
”I know everything will be different in Uzbekistan — their style of play, the culture. I will have to adapt quickly and make new friends. But I am extremely enthusiastic about taking on this new challenge and sharing my experiences.
“It’s a dream come true for me,” Grace told the All India Football Federation (AIFF) website. ”It wasn’t an overnight dream for me. In fact, playing abroad has long been a dream. I dreamed a lot about that day. This is an opportunity for me to show my skills and be a good ambassador for Indian women’s football,” added the 26-year-old.
Grace started her international career in 2013 and won the South Asian Games (2016, 2019) and the SAFF Women’s Championships in 2016 and 2019. Domestically, she joined KRYPHSA FC and joined Sethu FC in 2018-19 before moving to Gokulam Kerala FC in the Indian Women’s League. She has two IWL triumphs to her name and an AFC Women’s Club Championship bronze medal last year.
”I want to share my experience as I played with the national team for many years. I want to explore myself here. I played three international matches against the Uzbekistan national team, and they are very tough,” she said.
The 2019 AIFF Emerging Player of the Year scored twice against Indonesia in the 2020 AFC Women’s Olympic Qualifiers, and most recently scored against Venezuela in India’s tour of Brazil.
“We are all extremely grateful for the exposure tours which made us confident as players, and also facilitated the popularity and growth of women’s football in India.
“Experience in international football is paramount, and the exhibition tours over the past few years have helped me enormously in my individual growth,” she said.
”My message to young girls will be, keep trying – anything can happen if you keep believing in yourself. Whatever challenges you face, don’t give up, keep trying until you reach your goal,” Grace concluded.
(This story has not been edited by the Devdiscourse team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)