Mmehak of big things

Mmehak Lobo is among four Maharashtra girls who have been selected to represent India in the SAFF U-15 Women's Championship 2018 to be played in Bhutan from August 8 to 19. She is currently in a preparatory camp in Cuttack along with fellow Mumbaikars Priyanka Sujeesh and Jahnvi Shetty. The trio along with Anjali Barke from Pune were included in the 23-member Indian squad which was announced by All India Football Federation on Tuesday.

Mmehak who has been a striker from the age of eight, is among the four forwards in the team. Her father Alcino Lobo who left his shipping job to start a small business after Mmehak’s elder brother was born is a proud man at the moment. “We are a sports loving family and have all played something but she is the first achiever in our family. We, her school and her coach are all at the top of the world at the moment,” Lobo said.

Mmehak wanted to pursue sport from the start, according to her father. “She has been winning trophies from the start and has been winning athletic championships in her school Apostolic Carmel High School. She wanted to pursue football from start and is often busy playing for her school or club Future Stars. Her school coach Mr Cozy and club coach Mr Mauel have contributed a lot in her development,” he added.

But with Mmehak’s most time being consumed in football there is some concern in Lobo family that how she will cope up with academics. “She is very good in studies and I want to push her to be an IAS Officer but she has interest in Aviation Industry. She is standard X and her unit tests begin from August 4. She often visits away for matches and camps and is currently away in Cuttack. She will miss unit Tests and I have to meet her school Principal regarding separate arrangement for her exams,” Lobo said.  

Meanwhile, Priyanka has been included as a defensive midfielder in the Indian U-15 team, Jahnvi provides the coach options of playing in the right wing position or as a central defensive midfielder and Anjali is one of the two goalkeepers in the team.

India is clubbed in Group-A along with hosts Bhutan and Sri Lanka. The Indians open their campaign against Sri Lanka on August 9 and after a gap of three days will clash with the home team Bhutan on August 13.

Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan are other three teams participating in the championship and they have been drawn in Group-B.