Priyanka Kanojia, 14, is a talented, upcoming footballer with excellent skills. She demonstrated this by scoring two brilliant goals that were the highlight of Sai Baba Road Municipal School's (Parel) fluent 3-0 win over Jamnabai Narsee (Juhu) in a girls U-16 Division-II match of the MSSA inter-school football tournament at Cooperage yesterday. There is nothing that could prevent young Priyanka from doing what she enjoys most — playing the 'Beautiful Game'. She has even gone to the extent of skipping school just to go and play competitive matches. Her mother Sunita was completely against Priyanka playing football and often in the past has reprimanded, scolded and even beaten her daughter for disobeying her.

"My mother, who works at a readymade garments unit, believed that football was not meant for girls and tried her best to desist me from playing the sport. Whenever she found out that I had gone to play, I was in trouble. She would scream at me and hit me," Priyanka told mid-day. Priyanka further mentioned that her father, Surinder, who is a washerman and works at the Dhobi Ghat at Mahalaxmi, also wanted her to stop football. "My dad asked to give up football as he wanted me to concentrate more on my studies. But, Rajesh uncle [dad's brother-in-law] intervened and persuaded my parents to let me continue playing. He along with our coach Chavan Sir explained to my parents that sports and studies can go together. They told them that since I was equally good with my studies, there was no harm in me continuing to play football." Earlier, Aditi Pandike scored the first goal from an assist from Sandhya Bind.