Indian Women's Qualification In AFC Asian Cup Fuels Grassroots Ambition As Mina Eyes Big League

In the bustling lanes of Naka Bazaar in Zawar Mines, where homes sit shoulder to shoulder, and life spills into the narrow street, lives a family bound not just by the weak walls but by togetherness. Small, warm, and packed with stories, where 13-year-old Mina Kumari Meena is sitting with her family, watching the phone as the Indian women's football team plays in the historic AFC Women's Asian Cup after 23 years. Mina, who plays at the Zinc Football Academy, began her journey in these narrow lanes playing football, following the footsteps of her elder brother Nikhil, who once played there too before a health setback paused his journey. 

She always feels inspired when she watches the Indian women's football team giving their all on the field. 

"I was happy when India qualified for the Asian Cup, and watching them play in the tournament always makes me feel like I want to wear that jersey and play for India as well. I will always work hard to fulfil my dream," says Mina. 

Born in 2012, the youngest in a big joint family that shares everything... from meals to memories. Mina's father Arun Meena runs a small puncture repair shop just beside the house, a room just big enough for him to work with his hands and dignity. One uncle drives for a living, and others pitch in where they can. The house gets by most days, and on some, they stretch just enough to make things work.

Among them all, Mina's grandmother stands out... honest, affectionate, and still wrapped in memories. Her eyes light up when she talks about Zawar, as her late husband worked there and those were the golden years, she says. Now that Mina lives in the hostel at Zinc Football Academy, which is also an AIFF 3-star Academy, her grandmother misses her "guddiya" a lot. She doesn't understand much about football or any sport for that matter, but she knows Mina is doing something big. "She's making a life," she softly responds, wiping quiet tears.

At home, Mina rarely complains... not about the food, not about the lack of space. She is the kind of girl who listens more than she talks, but when she is upset, her silence says it all. Like a porcelain doll placed a little away from the shelf. Small in size, but with a quiet fire inside. She is different. After all, her wish is to learn to ride her uncle's motorcycle soon.

She studies at the local government school with her neighbours and best friends, Savita and Manisha, both now her teammates at the Academy. After school, the trio rushes to the Zinc Community Centre in Singatwara. Mina plays as she lives... without fear. She grew up playing with boys, darting past them with speed and scoring goals like it was the most natural thing to do. She is a striker, small but fast, unafraid to take on defenders twice her size.

Mina doesn't like household chores. She would much rather sit beside her grandmother and listen to old tales. But when it comes to work on the pitch, she is all in... fierce, focused, and quietly brilliant. Her hero is the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo. "He never gives up," Mina says.

Today, she is among the first 20 girls to receive a scholarship at the first-ever Zinc Football Girls Academy, a CSR programme of Hindustan Zinc. She wants to represent India and dreams of being on television so her father, who misses her a lot, can watch her shine.

And somewhere, in that little home in Zawar, a grandmother still tells everyone - "Mina meri sabse chhoti aur pyari hai... sabse tej bhi."