Football for me: Shayal
A25-year old school teacher in Labasa is setting the bar for women to pursue a career in football.
Shayal Sindhika, who plays for the Labasa women’s team, said football was something that had fascinated her the most.
“It is something I love doing since my childhood around the age of five,” she said.
She teaches at Tabia Primary School and also played for Nadroga in 2009 and 2010.
Sindhika joined the Nadi women’s team and played for the team from 2012 to 2014.
“It was a good exposure for me playing for the various districts,” she said. She said interacting with young and talented players all throughout Fiji gave her more confidence into the sport. She recalled the moments during her primary school days when she was practicing the sport with her cousins.
“I did not think at that time that I would make it this far,” she said.
Sindhika said that her elder brother Sumeet Krishan who has played for teams like Nadroga, Suva and Rakiraki had also been vital towards her career. “He taught me more on the sport,” she said.
Sindhika said everyone tends to have their disappointing moments on the field however bouncing back was all that matter the most.
“I would encourage more young girls to pursue what they love doing as there is a whole world of opportunities to explore out there,” she said. Sindhika would continue to play for Labasa hoping to win the Champion versus Champion (CVC) in which they were the runners up last year.