New Delhi, March 18 When 14-year-old Joya's volley hit the net deep into stoppage time to seal India U-17 Women's dramatic 3-2 comeback win against Myanmar in Yangon on March 14, it marked a moment she will remember for a long time.
Coming off the bench in her second international appearance for the U17 women's national team, the young striker delivered the decisive goal and celebrated by immediately calling the person who had supported her the most – her mother.
For Joya, the journey to that moment began in the narrow streets of her village. Growing up in Phagwara, Punjab, she first picked up football while watching boys play in the neighborhood.
"My mother was a bit worried at first. Football was not something many girls played back then. But she was later very supportive once she understood how passionate I am towards the game," said Joya.
"I need to thank my coaches, Hardeep Singh, who helped me take my first step towards football in Phagwara, and Sandeep Singh, who trained me at the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Academy in Hoshiarpur. Without their early guidance, I would not have made it here."
Her first real exposure to competitive football came in 2024 when she participated in the U15 Khelo India Women's Football League. "That was my first experience of playing competitive matches at that level," she recalled.
The tournament opened a new world for the young forward.
Soon after, Joya's performances helped her earn a call-up to the national camp in Bengaluru earlier this year. Training alongside some of the country's best young players under head coach Pamela Conti was a transformative experience.
"It was my first time in the national camp, and the training was at a very high level. Playing under an experienced coach (Conti) who has both played and coached in World Cups, and sharing the dressing room with players from around the country gave me a lot of exposure to how international football works and how players prepare," she said.
The preparation paid off in Yangon. When she was sent on as a substitute late in the match, Joya focused on the instructions given by the coaching staff and seized her moment. Scoring the winning goal made the occasion even more special.
The hosts led at the end of the first half through Hnin Wint War Kyaw (12') and Min Htone May Zitar (45'), who netted on either side of Alva Devi Senjam's (33') equaliser.
Deep in the second half, India's substitutes Anushka Kumari (88') and Joya (90+1') scored to complete a remarkable comeback win.
The match was part of India's preparations for the upcoming AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup, scheduled to be held in Suzhou, China, from May 1 to 17.
India had won the first friendly 2-0 on March 12.