Three freestyle footballers come to set the ball rolling in India
Aylin Yaren, Kitti Szasz, and Agnieszka Mnich are on their maiden trip to India to bust myths on women and sport, and kickstart an athletic revolution
Henna Rakheja
They enter the green Lodhi Gardens lawns, and the footballs in their hands instantly start spinning and rolling, in a series of crossovers and stalls that involve almost every part of their bodies. The eyes around them roll, too, and finally get fixated on the three young athletes. These are Aylin Yaren from Germany, Kitti Szasz from Hungary, and Agnieszka Mnich from Poland, among the world’s best women freestyle footballers. On their maiden trip to India, the three talk about the lesser-known sport that has taken the football world by storm in the last few years.
“We want people to see us, and get inspired to take up freestyle football. It’s a myth that this sport is only for men,” says the 28-year-old Aylin, who has played the U-17s for Germany, and for the first women’s soccer team from Turkey. She adds, “When I started playing soccer at the age of five, my mother wasn’t too happy about it. Later, she even tried to divert me towards tennis, because she felt tennis was more a sport for girls than football, but eventually gave it up, and I went back to soccer.”
Kitti, 26, and Agnieszka, 22 — both four-time world freestyle champions — agree that though difficult at first, due to the absence of a welldefined institutional structure or coaches, the sport can be learnt by watching videos and practicing. “I saw a video of freestyle football, and became interested in the sport. It takes months to practice one trick. Initially, it was just a hobby for me, but once I became skilled, I got invited to perform all over the world. It’s now my dream to meet Ronaldinho , because he came up with certain tricks that gave birth to freestyle football,” says Kitti.
Promoting the sport in the country, however, is not the only reason they are here. “I have always wanted to come to India,” says Agnieszka, adding, “When I was 7, my elder sister got DVDs of Bollywood movies from I don’t know where, and every single day, for six months, we watched them together. I still remember how colourful it was, and the song Bole Chudiyan (from Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham; 2001). I want to meet the actor in that song.” Prompt the name Shah Rukh Khan, and Agnieszka nods in affirmation. “Yes, yes, that’s the one. I remember him from childhood... So, when I was finally travelling to India now, and told my sister about it, she said, ‘Don’t think it will be like in movies, and bring me a sari,” she adds, bursting into laughter. If her fascination with Bollywood was what brought Agnieszka to India, Aylin is a fan of paneer tikka.
The trio is aware that taking up sports isn’t encouraged in India, and therefore freestyle football is not that popular. Aylin says, “I knew that girls aren’t encouraged to play football in India, let alone freestyle football. In fact, we met a few freestyle footballers in India, but none of them was female. I think men hardly see women playing with a ball… Hope the girls get the support of their parents and the sport becomes so popular that it is televised!”
AGNIESZKA MNICH’S FASCINATION WITH BOLLYWOOD WAS PART OF WHAT BROUGHT HER TO INDIA (SHE HAS ALSO GOT SARI SHOPPING ON HER MIND ON THIS VISIT), AND AYLIN YAREN IS A FAN OF PANEER TIKKA