CHANDIGARH, June 22:Tanvi Bhargava has done proud to Chandigarh as the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has entrusted here responsibility to lead an Indian Under-13 team in the Asian Football Confederation Under-13 Girls Festival Football to be held in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) from June 23 to 27.
Elated father Dr Akhil Bhargava, Managing Director of Silver Oaks Hospital, and mother Dr Manjari, on Tanvi’s inclusion in the team and leading the Indian squad, said "It’s great feeling. First playing for the school, then the state and now the country is like moving from strength to strength."
Asked how Tanvi felt when she was informed about her inclusion and making her captain, Dr Bhargava said "my daughter had sent a message on my cell saying that by choosing captain means that I have lot of responsibilities on my shoulder."
Besides providing exposure, the AIFF is also grooming leadership qualities among the young players.
According to Dr Bhargavas Tanvi is very ‘responsible and obedient’. She has the leadership quality and takes every body with her without any problem.
Belonging to a family of reputed doctors, Tanvi has been consistently showing excellence in football. "We use to see her play in tournaments. Spectators use to say when Tanvi got possession of the ball that "now it will be a goal. We were thrilled and excited to hear such comments from knowledgeable football spectators," said Dr Bhargava.
It was not an easy passage for Tanvi to start playing football. She virtually gate- crashed her way into football. "My son Anikt used to play football. She became attracted to it. "Despite opposition, Tanvi use to bully her brother and play soccer. That is how she started playing five years back and she has not looked back after that."
Asked whether, the family of doctors would allow Tanvi to continue to play soccer, Dr Bhagava said "we will continue to fully support her. In fact I am in touch with some football clubs of United Kingdom so that she can get advanced and more scientific training in England."
Dr Manjari said "Tanvi was adjudged the best player of Sacred Heart for four consecutive years from 2004 to 2008." "Tanvi is a large hearted girl. After her team’s win, she has never said she had done it. She would say we have done it. It is a team work. She would pass the ball to a better positioned player to score though she could have also done it. She is not selfish."
Akhil and Manjari said "Tanvi is very good in studies also. There is an extra facility in Mayo College that Tanvi can approach any teacher for help any time after she had missed the classes due to competition or attending coaching camps."
Born on February 4, 1996, Tavni is the only Chandigarh girl footballer to have been selected in the Indian team and appointed captain. Tanvi who studied in Sacred Heart School, Sector 26, before shifting to Mayo College, Ajmer, The reason for getting admission in Mayo College given by her father Dr Akhil Bhargava was that she could ‘pursue her sports career more freely and continue her studies."
Meanwhile, Chandiarh Football Association secretary Rakesh Bakshi intervened to say "Tanvi is game maker, planner and scorer. She can shuffle ball with both feet with same confidence. She can shoot with right or left with power and accuracy. It is a rare quality among girl players."
"It is a new chapter in the history of Chandigarh soccer. The CFA is running free coaching academies for girls at Dev Samaj College in Sector 45 and for boys as SD Public School in Sector 24. With Tanvi leading the country, more girls will be attracted to join CFA academy," hoped Bakshi.
Myanmar ,Japan ,Singapore, Korea Republic , China and hosts Vietnam are the other participating countries of the festival.
The Team: W Lintho Ingambi Devi (Manipur/ Defender),Elangbam Panthoi Chanu (Manipur/,GK) ,T Ranjita Devi (Manipur/Def)) ,H Sunita Devi (Manipur/Def) ,Kigpin/Manipur/Def ,TH Purnima Devi (Manipur/Def) ,Sithara Hari Kumar (Kerala/ Def) ,Tanvi Bhargava (Chandigarh/ Mid) , Masuka Somesh (Karnataka/ Mid) ,Raksha Pawar (Uttarakhand/ Mid) ,Josline D Souza (Goa/ Forward) , Preeti Shinde (Goa/ Fwd ),Luica Gracy Simoes (Goa/ Fwd) ,Salma Fernandes (Goa/ Mid ) ,Subhaprabha Rout (Orissa/ Mid) ,Karishma Oram (Orissa/ Fwd) ,Veerpal Kaur Bawa (Punjab/ Fwd) , Mampi Bhowmick (Tripura/ Fwd) ,Sangeetha Viagulasamy (Puducherry/ Mid) ,Varalakshmi Mani (Puducherry/ Def) ,Viswa Kirti Patel (Gujarat/ Mid) & Kanmozhi Muthukrishanan (Tamilnadu/ Fwd). Officials : Ms Shukla Dutta Chief Coach ,Ms RK Amusana Devi (Coach) and Ms Anjani Agrawal (Physiotherapist).