Sruti Chakraborty
AIFF Media Team
NEW DELHI: On a hot and humid evening at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar last year, an Indian Women’s League match came to an abrupt halt for a few minutes when a young footballer screamed loudly as she lay wreathing in pain on the pitch. While everyone around watched in horrified silence, the sobbing player, Sanju, was carried off the ground on a stretcher.
The injury was a huge setback for Sanju, one of the country’s leading midfielders. She had just made her Sethu FC debut and had won the Player of the Match award in the previous encounter before she had to be carried out on that fateful evening.
It wasn’t the end of Sanju’s wretched run of luck. When she was admitted to a local hospital, the doctors confirmed that she suffered an ACL injury on her right leg that would confine her to bed for a long period of time. Unfortunately, this was the second time Sanju had to endure the intolerable pain of an ACL tear – the first time it happened was in 2021, which kept her out of football for around six months.
For a professional footballer, an ACL injury is a piece of heart-breaking news. Yet, this incident turned out to be a challenging point in her career, as it forced her to confront not only physical pain but also the emotional toll of being sidelined from the game she dearly loves.
“I will never forget that day in my life. It was my second IWL game for my team, and I was out on a stretcher before I could settle down. It was a nightmarish experience for me. The tears I shed will never go away, the tears that fell will remind me of the pain,” Sanju told www.the-aiff.com from Bhubaneswar.
To put it briefly, Sanju made an inspiring and fascinating comeback overcoming the fiercest agonies despite a year-and-a-half-long injury layoff that nearly threatened to wash away all her dreams. This setback did not let the brave Blue Tigresses slow down in her approach, but changed her attitude and perspective on seeing life from the other side. Sanju felt that her injury made people lose confidence in her, but she never lost confidence in herself.
Despite all the challenges, Sanju is back in action in the National Team camp for the first time after the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2022. She has been called up to the preparatory camp in Bhubaneswar for the upcoming Asian Games and the AFC Women’s Olympic Qualifiers.
