For as long as she can remember, football has been a constant in Noor Rana’s life. Growing up in Delhi alongside her football-crazy elder brother, she never saw the sport as just another spectacle of hero worship, unlike cricket. Football was a shared passion that brought the siblings together at home and on the school playground, defining much of their childhood.As an adult, even as she found her professional calling in aviation, Noor missed the adrenaline rush of kicking the ball. Like most youngsters who struggle to actively pursue sports after school life, football took a back seat in her life, too. Yet, her connection with the game never disappeared. “It’s the closest feeling to the thrill I get from flying an aircraft,” says the 26-year-old flight instructor.Finding her way back to the pitch as an adult became a way for Noor to reclaim a part of herself. Her association with Humans of Football (HOF), a community-driven network that brings together enthusiasts of the game, has given her not only a platform to continue playing but also an opportunity to help create the spaces she once needed.
Noor Rana (bottom row, second from right) at a women’s-only game organised by Humans of Football in Delhi.
