Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveChhavi Kohli: Journey from fencing rings to mind’s wellspring

Chhavi Kohli: Journey from fencing rings to mind’s wellspring

Written by: Amrita Priya

(April 2, 2024) At 15, Chhavi Kohli was honoured with the National Child Award by the President of India. Now, at 23, this fencing athlete wears multiple hats. The sportsperson has represented India at many international tournaments. She has been a part of the Indian national fencing team and was the youngest fencer to participate at the age of 14 at the National Games in 2015. She is also a two-time Commonwealth Games medallist. Apart from being a sportsperson, Chhavi is a professional painter, and mental health practitioner. She completed her MSc in Performance Psychology at The University of Edinburgh in 2023, and is working on her goal to become a licensed psychologist in the UK.

Chhavi Kohli

“Currently, I work as a psychologist for Indian nationals in the UK offering services through my initiative Spark Matters. I deal with clinical and non-clinical cases of couples, students, families, athletes, and young professionals,” Chhavi tells Global Indian. “My journey in sports has taught me to keep growing and never lose hope,” added the athlete who has also given motivational talks on well-being as a TEDx Speaker.

Pressures of sports, mental health and emerging a winner

Born and raised in Patiala, Chhavi had always been inclined towards sports as a child. She tried her hand at multiple sports before taking up fencing at the age of nine. Reminiscing about her school days, she mentions, “Lalit Gandhi was my coach at school and he had a major impact on my performances while I played for India.”

When she took up fencing, her parents enrolled her under coach Mohit Ashwini. For nearly a year, the fencing coach did not allow her inside the training hall meant for professional players as he wanted to test Chhavi’s consistency, and interest levels. After the young fencer had proved her seriousness for the game by attending the coaching sessions regularly, he started making her train at the training hall.

Under his guidance, Chhavi made India proud by winning the Commonwealth Championship medal twice. She also went on to win the Thailand Minime series Under-16 series twice in a row in 2016, and 2017. The young fencer was honoured with the President’s Excellency Award in 2016 by former President of India, late Pranab Mukherjee for her good performances at the international games.

Chhavi Kohli

Despite achieving a lot at a young age, in 2018, Chhavi had to give up fencing briefly due to burnout and anxiety induced by performance pressure. “I experienced burnout due to the overwhelming pressure of academics. Since I was in 12th grade and had no breaks for rejuvenation or recovery from my sport over a decade as my coach did not believe in the idea of taking a break,” she remarks.

It was a time when her passion for fencing had turned into pressure for her. “I constantly indulged in thoughts of what others would think about me and my performances,” she shares.

Chhavi had to take a sabbatical of a-year-and-a-half. By the end of it, she bounced back with the support of her parents and after undergoing therapy to look at her passion for sports with a different lens. The athlete went on to win multiple competitions after her return to fencing, and since then has become an advocate of mental health.

Journey of rising above self-doubt

The experience of getting counselled was therapeutic and helpful for the athlete, making her look at her passion with a different lens. “The attitude of running after medals and the pressure that accompanied that mindset got altered in playing the game for the love of it,” she remarks. Not only this, Chhavi passed her 12th board exams with flying colours earning 96.75 percent marks.

Owing to her personal positive experiences of taking therapy Chhavi developed an interest in counselling, and started using social media to spread awareness on this vital issue and has eventually turned a counsellor.

Despite being a sportsperson she never neglected academics and pursued bachelors of arts in psychology, certificate course, diploma and advanced diploma in guidance and counselling from Panjab University, Chandigarh, and pursued MSc in performance psychology at the University of Edinburgh.

The sportsperson has won the BUCS championship and won the Scottish student sport champion award for 2022-23 in the UK.

Inner spark matters

As a mental health and well-being enthusiast, Chhavi has started her counselling service – Spark Matters – dedicated to supporting individuals and communities in their journeys towards improved well-being.

The mental health advocate has curated a wealth of resources, including articles, self-care tips, and evidence-based practices for people to achieve greater balance and resilience in life. “As someone who has experienced the benefits of therapy firsthand, I believe that seeking help for our mental health should be just as normalised as seeking help for our physical health,” Chhavi remarks.

Chhavi Kohli

As a mental health and wellbeing practitioner, Chhavi believes that therapy is not just for people who wish to solve problems; it is also for improving as a person and working on one’s state of mind. “Well-being is extremely important. We are running after things without realising that it’s costing our health,” she remarks adding. “Just like we take care of our physical health by exercising and eating well, we should be taking good care of our minds by seeking assistance from a professional if needed.”

Giving back and gaining recognition in the UK

Last year Chhavi was conferred the UK Achievers Award by British Council (India) and the Department for Trade (UK). “The award was for my pro bono work in mental health for underprivileged athletes,” says Chhavi, who keeps on counselling such athletes in an attempt to give back to the society.

The athlete, artist and mental health practitioner expresses gratitude towards the National Indian Students and Alumni (UK) for helping her gain recognition for promoting mental health and well-being as an athlete. “It was an honour to share the stage with other phenomenal achievers Parineeti Chopra, Raghav Chadha, Purva Aggarwal and Adrija Biswas,” she shares. “Representing my University, The University of Edinburgh at the award event was also a big matter of pride.”

Chhavi Kohli while receiving the Achievers Award in the UK

Life in Scotland and future goals

Chhavi currently lives in Scotland. With specialisation in performance enhancement, mental health, and wellbeing, she is dedicated towards promoting holistic wellness and performance psychology through her consultancy service – Spark Matters.

For the moment, fencing has taken a backseat for Chhavi. “I do not have the finances to support my fencing in the UK. Indian Fencing is not particularly flexible in accommodating the needs of fencers who are also pursuing other careers,” tells the athlete. “I am working to become a licensed psychologist in the UK and hopefully resume fencing,” she signs off.

Chhavi Kohli with one of her paintings

Follow Chhavi Kohli on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, Facebook
To know more about her work visit Spark Matter’s website

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Published on 02, Apr 2024

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Ananya Jain: The tech founder helping GenZ improve their mental health

(April 2, 2023) In October 2021, a Lancet study found a 35 percent increase in mental health disorders in India alone. That means one in every seven Indians, amounting to a whopping total of 19.73 crore people. The gig economy and its hustle culture, the advent of AI, the growing pressure on teenagers to get into top-notch foreign universities, and the glamorisation of toxic work environments have had telling effects on mental health. Social media, with its curated, filtered glimpses of people's lives has only contributed to overall stress, leading to feelings of inadequacy and loneliness. Unless, of course, you find Ananya Jain on LinkedIn. The intrepid tech founder works with GenZ's mental health, creating a safe and empathetic space for them to connect and cope. "I help strangers on the internet," she writes, in her LinkedIn bio. That's exactly what she does - she helps people. Not in the way that a mental health professional would - while the stigma around seeking help is reducing, empathetic friends are hard to find. That's the gap Ananya fills with FullCircle. Younger generations want to open up and talk about mental health, but the people who understand are rare. "It started selfishly,"

"It started selfishly," Ananya says, during an interview for Global Indian. "I was trying to figure out what was wrong with me." At 23, Ananya's aura of wisdom is a hard-won attribute. Her early life was filled with challenges and she overcame them, mostly on her own. In the end, she knew one thing: she didn't want anybody, not even strangers, to suffer in silence and solitude. It meant sacrificing, at least for the moment, the financial security that every immigrant seeks, in order to be a tech founder and start up an organisation for mental health in a foreign country.

Early turning points

Ananya grew up in Chandigarh, "always looking for ways to get out of the house because things weren't great at home." Her sanctuary was the chemistry lab at her high school - she didn't have any particular interest in science but it was the only place she had. One day, she noticed cockroaches running around in the laboratory. She decided to run some experiments on them, to distract herself from the boredom, if nothing else. "I made a lot of mistakes but I kept at it. At the end of that year, I was 13 then, I had made a biofertiliser," Ananya recalls. She sent her findings off to the Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam IGNITE competition.

When the President’s office called Ananya’s mother to say the “cockroach experiment” had won, the family thought it was a prank. The office persisted and finally, Ananya was on her way to meet Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, who was the President of India then. That was a turning point in the teenager's life. "He cracked a ton of jokes about my obsession with cockroaches," she laughs. "And I realised that if I was ever going to make something of myself, I had better study science."

Georgia on her mind

A few years later, she ended up filing a hurried application to Georgia Tech, starting 30 minutes before the deadline and hitting the send button with 30 seconds to spare. She was accepted- with a scholarship. She arrived in Atlanta, in her own words, as a "really dumb, broke, naive child." She was a good student, though, and was put straight away into the Grand Challenges programme, which was reserved for the best and brightest. "Everyone around me had already done two years of college," she recalls.

In those early days, life looked great on paper but in truth, Ananya Jain was struggling to cope. She was stressed, had no family in the US, and worked five jobs throughout her time in college to pay her way through. "I would sit in a Math lecture, pulling my hair out because I was so stressed." After class, she would rush to work until past midnight. She was also travelling abroad for research.

[caption id="attachment_29043" align="aligncenter" width="418"] Tech founders Ananya and Ankit Kukadia, of FullCircle. Photo: LinkedIn[/caption]

The breaking point

By the second year of engineering college, Ananya Jain had lost all her hair. "I was completely bald," she says, "I had started shedding hair in May 2018 and by the end of that month, my hair had fallen out." For a young woman who had always had long hair, this was shocking. She went to several doctors, but nobody could figure out what was wrong - there was nothing to explain such radical hair loss. And Ananya was keeping it all secret from her family back in India. "I would call my mother every couple of weeks and wear a hoodie. One day, she had had enough and made me remove it," she said.

That day, Ananya Jain landed at a therapist's office, where she was presented with a big bill to be paid by the end of the week. "I had a spreadsheet of expenses. If I had to pay the therapist, it meant I couldn't eat that week. So I didn't eat that week. Ironically, I was more stressed going out of therapy than coming into it," she remarks.

This was the breaking point. Ananya Jain was fed up - she took a photo of herself, completely bald, and posted it on the internet. And she posted her phone number, telling people that if they were stressed out, they could call her (yes, it's a risky thing to do). Twenty-four hours later, 1,00,000 people around the world had seen it. "So suddenly, all I was doing was taking calls from people around the world."

All the lonely people

Why were they calling her, though? This is the age of technology, where everything, even peace of mind, can be coded. Meditation apps, therapists, medicines, everything was a click away. So what was happening? The simple answer: Loneliness. What was the point, she thought, of doing engineering and research when it was such a struggle and there were so many people seeking help? "I cut my education short to work on mental health instead." And that's how things came full circle, so to speak.

FullCircle has two aspects - one, says the young tech founder, is "remaking The Oprah Winfrey Show (it's a figure of speech) for GenZ." Ananya interviews celebrities to talk about what they go through and how they cope. The other aspect is to bring curated groups of ten people together to form small but tight-knit communities. "We facilitate them talking to each other," she explains. "For someone like me, who had just lost her hair, instead of going to Reddit and talking to 50 people trying to find out what was wrong with me, I would go on FullCircle and ask for help." When she was struggling, Ananya recalls, she met a lawyer in Boston. He had lost his hair too, during law school. "If I had met him two years earlier, I would have had an answer."

[caption id="attachment_29044" align="aligncenter" width="572"] Photo: LinkedIn[/caption]

Leading by example

Ananya’s own life is meticulously planned out. Managing stress is a lifelong affair and everything matters, from diet, exercise, and rest, to intangible aspects like good friends and family to provide emotional support and also hold one accountable. “Everything I can control, I put on an Excel sheet,” she explains. “I try to reduce the number of decisions I need to make daily, so my diet plan, my clothes, my social interactions – everything is planned out. I have learned to listen to what my body is telling me.”

Not another therapy app

The tech founder doesn't comment on the pros and cons of therapy - of course, it is necessary in some cases and helpful to many. Still, people require more - they need emotional and tangible support. "We are here to offer perspective to people," Ananya explains. The FullCircle journey does not end with creating micro-communities alone. "The goal is to support them every step of the way, to make people realise they're not as alone as they thought." The other aspects include coaching, therapy, and growth. Mental well-being is never about just one thing- as the saying goes, 'it takes a whole village'. And that's what this young entrepreneur has made it her purpose to give, to tell people that no matter what, there's hope out there.

Follow Ananya Jain on LinkedIn

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Adhya Shastry: Bharatanatyam danseuse who claimed BBC Young Dancer triumph

(October 8, 2023) Adhya Shastry, a talented Bharatanatyam dancer based in the UK, achieved a remarkable milestone by clinching the coveted title of BBC Young Dancer 2022. The competition, open to dancers from across the UK, provides participants a golden opportunity to showcase their exceptional talents on the renowned BBC televised stage, drawing in audiences from around the world. “I didn’t have any expectations throughout the competition and in some sense that’s what made this whole experience so beautiful because I was experiencing everything as it came,” Adhya remarked as she connected with Global Indian. At the tender age of 13 in 2017, the 19-year-old had first stumbled upon the competition. While barely a teenager, she was captivated by the dazzling finals on her television screen. The extraordinary talent displayed by the finalists that year left an indelible mark on her, igniting a determination to be on the BBC stage herself someday. [caption id="attachment_33453" align="aligncenter" width="759"] Adhya Shastry[/caption] Over the years Adhya diligently honed her skills. When she finally felt prepared, she submitted her application to participate. In April 2022, Adhya's happiness knew no bounds when she was awarded the title of BBC Young Dancer 2022, a testament to her

erself someday.

[caption id="attachment_33453" align="aligncenter" width="759"] Adhya Shastry[/caption]

Over the years Adhya diligently honed her skills. When she finally felt prepared, she submitted her application to participate. In April 2022, Adhya's happiness knew no bounds when she was awarded the title of BBC Young Dancer 2022, a testament to her dedication and talent.

All about the competition

Since 2015, the BBC Young Dancer competition has been featured as a reality show on both BBC Four and BBC Two television channels. Designed for aspiring UK-based dancers in ballet, contemporary, hip-hop, and South Asian dance genres, this competition welcomes participants aged between 16 and 20.

Adhya's journey to the finals involved successfully navigating three challenging rounds. She gained invaluable insights throughout the competition feeling privileged to meet a diverse array of remarkable individuals, each with their own captivating stories. For instance, some participants were balancing their passion for dance with the rigours of psychology or medicine studies at university. While others had recently embarked on intensive dance workshops abroad, collaborating with renowned choreographers just days before the auditions. “It felt like I had been transported into a different world where everything and anything was possible!”

Experience of a lifetime

Following the successful completion of three rounds, a total of 10 dancers emerged as finalists. They were sent to Dartington Manor, a heritage property spread over 1,200 acres in Devon, dating back to mediaeval times for an immersive week of intensive training and collaborative creative sessions with renowned choreographers.

“It felt like the beginning of something new, I felt like there were so many possibilities that were ahead of me and ahead of us as a dance cohort,” Adhya shared.

The residency programme included improvisational performances to an audience. This was where random music tracks were played. “We had never heard those tracks but were required to dance to the tunes displaying our musicality, our unique dance style, and our spur-of-the-moment creative thinking” It was nerve-wracking and fun at the same time,” she remarked.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmlbwT83ooE

Although her solo was a Bharatanatyam piece, Adhya also got to dance in a trio choreographed by one of the judges. “Since I was in a trio with a contemporary dancer and a tap dancer, the choreography included a movement language that connected us whilst also allowing us to flourish within our styles,” she said adding “Through different tasks, I learned to improvise and create pieces with other dancers exploring my own movement style and learning other styles in the process.”

Claiming the title

After the residency ended, it was a few months of waiting for the final show. At the end of it was the surreal experience of performing at the Roundhouse in London. The stage was massive. “I couldn’t believe I was going to perform in that gorgeous venue with those amazing people!” Adhya shared.

She delivered a stunning performance line-up, including a Bharatanatyam solo titled ‘Kali Kavuthwam,’ a meticulously choreographed trio by Seeta Patel, and a dynamic group ensemble piece crafted by Ivan Michael Blackstock.

When she emerged as a winner, it took a while for her to realise that she had finally clinched the top title amidst the ten brilliant finalists.

Dancing since childhood

Adhya had always been an active child. Looking at her keenness towards dancing her parents enrolled her in a Bharatanatyam class, a decision that Adhya embraced with joy.

Talking about her dance school she shares, “I started learning Bharatanatyam in Kalakunj at Reading at the age of 10. Learning there was a way for me to connect to my roots and gain knowledge about my culture. My guru, Ananya Chatterjee was always so supportive of all my endeavours and she helped harbour and grow my passion for dance. I also got to learn so much from all the beautiful dancers I danced with at Kalakunj.”

Adhya has also been a part of Yuva Gati, a dance training programme for dance styles from South Asian heritage. She was associated with it for two years gaining exposure to many dance styles. The programme connected her with numerous talented South Asian dancers and introduced her to the concept of improvisation and an understanding of the techniques underlying various movements.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-xiKwBk-S0

Dance is life

This September Adhya has started her first year of university at London Contemporary Dance School. “I am currently in a dance conservatoire that covers a lot of different dance styles like locking, popping, groove, contemporary, ballet, and more,” tells the teenager who is eager to delve deeper into these dance styles, and broaden her repertoire of movements. She is also keen on discovering how these styles can complement and enrich her exploration of Bharatanatyam.

As a dancer, Adhya’s inspiration is diverse. Whether it's observing fellow dancers' performances, immersing herself in music, engaging in conversations, delving into literature, connecting with her emotions, or simply taking leisurely walks to absorb her surroundings—every facet of life holds potential inspiration for her.

“I aspire to keep dancing and eventually start choreographing dance pieces. I have many ambitions but one of my main goals is to always be authentic in the way I move and have an honest expression of myself through dance,” she signs off.

Born in Tehran Iran, the UK-based teenager lived in India from 2009 - 2012.

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Shifting the goalpost: Ananya Kamboj spreads awareness through football

(February 4, 2023) "Man up!" Footballer Ananya Kamboj would bristle everytime her coaches hurled the phrase at the girls' team. Were they implying that girls are inferior, she would wonder. Kamboj, the first Indian to be selected at the FIFA U17 global Football for Friendship (F4F) in 2017, decided veiled prejudice would not be taken in her stride. Today, she's an author, a goodwill ambassador for BRICS and addressed the United Nation's ECOSOC Youth Forum in September 2020. Now 17 years old, Ananya is part of various projects for gender equality, including Girls with Impact, Girl Up, Learn in India, She Mercedes and SDGs For Children. She has also been part of three Guinness World Record events, including most nationalities in a football training session in history (2019, the most users in a football video hangout (2020) and the most visitors at a virtual stadium (2021). For three years after her selection, the young Global Indian continued to represent India as a young journalist at the F4F, a programme aimed to unite children of different physical abilities from around the world. "The goal is the development of children's football, fostering tolerance and respect for different cultures and nationalities," she says.

continued to represent India as a young journalist at the F4F, a programme aimed to unite children of different physical abilities from around the world. "The goal is the development of children's football, fostering tolerance and respect for different cultures and nationalities," she says. "The key values that the participants support and promote are friendship, equality, fairness, health, peace, devotion, victory, traditions and honour."

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The debutante author

When she returned from the Football for Friendship programme in Russia in 2017, her father suggested she write her memoirs. By this time, the teenager had a strong value system in place and was determined to work for equality within the sporting ecosystem around the world. That led to her debut book, 'My Journey from Mohali to St Petersburg', in which she shares the lessons she has learned. "If you are looking at famous sports professionals, don't look at the records they break or the games they win; instead, try to learn some valuable lessons from their approach and their lives too," she writes in her book.

Born in Mohali, Chandigarh, the first turning point in the young changemaker's life came in April 2017, when she happened to spot a FIFA U17 World Cup poster on her way to the bank in her neighbourhood. The poster announced a contest for young journalists, asking students to report on the Gazprom's Football for Friendship Championship in Russia. Applicants were asked to write an inspiring story on football, in under 200 words. That year also happened to mark India's first time participating in a FIFA World Cup and Ananya decided to give the contest a shot.

Incidentally, one month earlier, Ananya, a footballer herself, had met Gurmangal Dass Soni, founder of the Youth Football Club at Lake Club, Chandigarh. "Soni is involved in a global campaign to stem out the increasing use of drugs among the youth in Rurka Kalan and surrounding areas. I found Mr Soni's story fascinating and inspiring. He is an ordinary person who has done extraordinary things," she writes. She knew that his story was the one she wanted to tell.

Leading herself to lead others

Her goal, she admits, was only to participate. When she got the call telling her she was the winner, Ananya was "completely surprised." She would be one of 64 participants to go to St Petersburg, Russia, for the social program sponsored by FIFA and Gazprom. In the meantime, she was also trained by Ranjit Bajaj, the owner, founder and executive director of Minerva Punjab Football Club, where she was provided leadership and motivational training.

Once quick-tempered and by her own admission, "prone to losing control when angry," the first lesson Ananya learned on her path to leadership was to rein in her own emotions. Also a shy person by nature, she learned to face up to her playground bullies, stand by her teammates and grow as a writer."

Rendezvous with Russia

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A post shared by Ananya Kamboj (@kambojananya)

A twenty-three hour journey later, Ananya stepped out into the biting cold of a rainy day in St Petersburgh, where she was welcomed by the F4F team, who told her, to her alarm, that this was summertime. "The warm, cramped streets of Mohali were left far behind," she writes. This was her first time so far away from home and she was nervous as she met her fellow Ambassadors from Armenia, Venezuela, Pakistan, Iceland, Slovenia, South Africa and South Korea. Ananya was making history that day - she was the first Indian to participate in FIFA U17 F4F.

For the next three days, Ananya learned what it meant to be part of a team, braving the cold to spend hours out on the field. The 'Yellow Team', of which she was a part, made it all the way to the semi-finals, where they lost 4-3 to the Orange Team, who went on to win the championship. "Sports teaches us to take both defeat and victory. We eventually shook off our understandable disappointment," she says. She was also there as a reporter and contributed a number of articles for the daily F4F Newsletter and anchored the Football for Friendship video digest.

"The journey brought about a positive transformation, instilling confidence in me - the confidence to address a crowd over 1,200 people as one of the keynote speakers of the programme," she recalls. "I kept the Indian flag flying high at the F4F Social Programme at St Petersburg."

In 2018, she was invited to hold the world premiere of her book in Moscow. The book was released by Viktor Zubkov, Chairman of the Gazprom Board of Directors as part of the 6th Season of the F4F. She was also awarded the best young journalist award for her efforts.

[caption id="attachment_27177" align="aligncenter" width="1500"] Ananya Kamboj is the first Indian to participate in the FIFA U17 F4F programme[/caption]

United Nations - and Guinness

In 2019 and again in 2020, Ananya was invited by ECOSOC Youth, to speak at the Youth Plenary in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the UN. The idea was to offer a platform for youth to engage with Member Nations, advocate the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the Paris Agreement.

At the same, she participated in three Guinness World Record Events. "I feel proud, honoured and happy to have achieved something that on the one hand is rather rare, but on the other is simply the result of my passion for football as something that makes me whole," Ananya told the Hindustan Times.

Follow Ananya on Instagram

The great Indian kickoff: Rising Indian footballers find a place in international leagues

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their degrees. Well-known among Indian football fans, Sarpreet’s impressive performances attracted the attention of many top clubs.

[caption id="attachment_15141" align="aligncenter" width="553"] Sarpreet Singh[/caption]

At 21, Sarpreet became the first Indian-origin footballer to join Bundesliga, a professional association football league in Germany. Currently, he is playing for 2. Bundesliga club, on loan from Bayern Munich II, Sarpreet also represents the New Zealand national team. Although Sarpreet was on the bench for a few fixtures in 2020, after making a comeback, Sarpreet scored seven goals from 20 appearances and was the team's second-highest goal-scorer in the season.

While speaking to the press during a media interaction, Sarpreet had mentioned that he didn't believe it when he first received the news that Bayern Munich was interested in him. He expressed that it was a dream come true for him and he is learning as much as he is enjoying the game.

Ishan Pandita, 23, Lorca FC

Bengaluru lad, Ishan Pandita, created history by becoming the first Indian footballer to sign a professional contract with a Spanish La Liga club in 2016. Nicknamed as the Super Sub because of his ability to score late match-winning goals in the game, the 23-year-old Ishan Pandita has scored more than 80 per cent of his goals after the 75th minute.

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A post shared by Ishan Pandita (@_ishanpandita_)

Ishan signed a one-year deal with Tercera Division Club Lorca. He played 26 matches and scored six goals and was the top scorer for the club in the 2019–20 season. After spending a term of six years in various lower-division Spanish clubs, he returned to India and signed for FC Goa ahead of the Indian Super League in 2020-21. However, surprisingly, he joined Jamshedpur FC ahead of the 2021-22 Hero ISL.

As a teenager, Ishan shares that he was juggling between swimming and football. He believes it was his stint in Spain that helped him transform into a better footballer. During an interview, Ishan had shared that playing for the Spanish FC was a learning experience for him. The exposure and facilities there brought out the best in him.

Shubho Paul, 20, Bayern Munich

The first Indian footballer to get a place in the Bayern World Squad in Munich, 18-year-old Shubho Paul from West Bengal scored a total of eight goals in 11 games for the U17 national side in his international career, in 2021. The footballer, who until a few years ago played barefoot and reached the training grounds on a borrowed cycle, started his career at the age of 15.

Before bursting onto the senior squad, Paul was part of Minerva FC’s youth squad for whom he played in the AIFF Youth league scoring 14 goals in 11 appearances, and this performance paved his way into the first team of Minerva FC. His performance in the youth leagues also earned him a call up to the U-17 Indian national team.

The news of his call up to the World Squad was emotional for his elder brother, Raju Paul, who left football 10 years ago due to family’s financial constraints. During an interaction with the media, Shubho shared that his brother gave up on his dream and took up a job as his family couldn't afford both the sons playing football. Crediting his brother for his success on the field, he said that he only played cricket growing up, but his brother motivated him to think about football seriously, and took him to the coaches.

Ashiq Vithayathil, 25, CD Tablero

The Kerala-born 25-year-old defender left the country after earning a trial with Italian club A side AS Roma, where he played for the reserve team as a teenager. Currently playing for the Spanish side CD Tablero, Ashiq Vithayathil brushed shoulders with the likes of Edin Dzeko, Stephan El-Shaarawy and Francesco Totti in what was a "dream come true" moment.

Among the handful of Indians to play European football, Ashiq's teammates call him “Thiago.” The Indian footballer, who has had stints with clubs in Germany and Italy as well, did admit his desire to play for his home team, Indian Super League (ISL) side Kerala Blasters. During an interview, he had said that his game has always been aggressive and attacking the opposition goal, just like that of Kerala Blasters. He added that his training and tough conditions have trained him well to play for Kerala.

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‘Landed in Korea’: Kerala’s Seetha shines in her debut Indo-Korean drama

(August 29, 2024) This month, HBC House South Korea premiered its eight-episode mini-series ‘Landed in Korea’ on YouTube. Billed as the first Indo-Korean drama, it has received positive reviews from audiences eager for something different - a fusion of two different cultures. Beyond the drama itself, the main protagonist, Seetha, has also garnered attention with her debut performance. The story follows Seetha, a young woman who seizes an opportunity to travel to South Korea - a country she has always dreamed of visiting. Secretly, she hopes to find love, much like in her favourite K-dramas. After arriving in Korea to reunite with her childhood friend, things take an interesting turn when he introduces her to his social circle. As Seetha forms genuine connections in this new land, the drama centers on whether she will find the love for which she has always longed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yY6Cryf_TpY Although the character shares her real name, Seetha, the actor is not new to the country, unlike the role she plays. She has been living in Korea for the past eight years, making her well-prepared to work with the Korean cast and crew and familiar with the culture. “But you get to know more about

her real name, Seetha, the actor is not new to the country, unlike the role she plays. She has been living in Korea for the past eight years, making her well-prepared to work with the Korean cast and crew and familiar with the culture. “But you get to know more about it when you work closely with Koreans, especially in projects like Landed in Korea,” she remarked in an interview. Landed in Korea is a collaborative project by Indian and Korean producers, K-pop artists Aoora and Fridayy, and Mumbai-based entrepreneur Rachna Puri. Singer-composer Aoora also plays one of the lead characters in the series.

Landing in Korea

After completing her graduation from Manipal University in Dubai, Seetha Ranganathan landed in Korea eight years ago to pursue a Global MBA from Dongguk University, Seoul. She has been working as a media professional after the completion of her MBA program.

The actor hails from Kerala and apart from English and Korean, can speak in Malayalam and Tamil. “I come from the border between the two states in the southern part of India, so I grew up with a lot of Malayalam, Tamil, and, of course, Bollywood movies,” the actress revealed.

[caption id="attachment_39005" align="aligncenter" width="611"] Seetha with a co-artist during a shoot in Korea[/caption]

Love for art and culture

Seetha respects the art and culture of both India and South Korea and takes pride in being aware of both. When it comes to acting, her favourite actress is Shobhana, whom she calls her inspiration. Although new to the field of acting, Seetha aspires to adopt the veteran actress's method of acting - fully embodying her characters and bringing a raw, powerful energy to her performances.

The actor admires the entire Indian film industry, which she describes as "full of style and drama, powerful and captivating." She loves the energy infused into every film, regardless of the genre, and region it is being made in India.

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Adding a touch of India on the Korean sets

While shooting Landed in Korea, she even tried teaching the cast members a few words in her mother tongue, Malayalam, which was captured in a few scenes of the mini-series. Additionally, the cast was filmed wearing traditional Indian clothing. These were some improvisation initiatives by Seetha. "I brought a bit of India with me, and it was fun. I hope to continue doing this," says the actor, who aspires to work on more acting projects.

Let’s make Indo-Korean cultural relations stronger!

Seetha had remarked while announcing the release of 'Landed in Korea'

Recently, some television stars have appeared in South Korean series, and as part of this growing fraternity, Seetha hopes that all Indian actors working in Korea can bring the charisma of the Indian film and television industry to Korean sets. "I want to spread joy and showcase aspects of Indian culture that people may not be familiar with in Korea,” tells the actor who tries to bring the synergy into everything she does.

[caption id="attachment_39006" align="aligncenter" width="585"] Seetha with friends during an event in Korea[/caption]

Life lessons in Korea

After eight years in Korea, the country has significantly influenced her personality. She has become a stickler for time and has developed excellent time management skills - a trait that has greatly benefited her acting career, which ‘involves a lot of planning, schedules, and meetings’. Seetha enjoys the strong sense of teamwork in Korea, which was one of the highlights of her experience working with the Korean cast in her debut acting assignment, where she played an Indian girl in love with Korea – a reflection of her own life.

Follow Seetha on Instagram
Watch Landed in Korea series here

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