Image via Keshika Subbarao
One of the best takeaways from sports is learning that everything is a process that takes time and patience. It’s important to see the process through to overcome adversities and become successful.
This process encompasses everything from being disciplined, having the right mindset, facing consequences, and building relationships—something that Keshika Subbarao holds true throughout her career as a football coach as well as a sports ambassador for the Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO). She’s also one of the unsung heroes in the DIGIyin Saathanai Hero-kkal campaign.
Growing up, Keshika has always had a competitive streak, which also fuelled her passion in sports. It was the first Manchester United football match she saw when she was only five years old that made her fall head over heels with football.
However, she never got much of an opportunity to play football because back then, the notion of girls playing football wasn’t welcome. So, she nurtured her competitiveness by playing different sports like basketball and volleyball in primary and secondary school.
Nevertheless, the more she played, the more she became curious to explore a career in football just like her father had. “I knew I wanted to end up having a career in football so I tried working in many different aspects of the sport and eventually realised that what I wanted the most was to be out on the pitch,” Keshika shared.
Believe it or not, she began dabbling in the sport as a sports journalist at a tender age of 14! She started writing football pieces for multiple European sports media platforms that hired her because they didn’t see her gender nor age.
This became a stepping stone for her to study law in the United Kingdom while coaching football on the side. After graduating, she finally went full-time into football.
Back in Malaysia, Keshika was first a coach for the girls’ team at FC Kuala Lumpur’s youth football academy. With discipline, the right attitude and good results, she was able to progress and coach the Under-16 and Under-18 boys’ team.
“As I started getting more involved, I came to realise I love sharing my passion for the game with the younger generation. I believe it’s a special thing to be able to share the passion for the sport and inspire players to chase their dreams. That’s what I love most about it,” she added.
Now, working as a coach in a male-dominated sport, she has no doubt come across her fair share of barriers. One of the clear examples is that most of the time, women are seen to only be capable of coaching girls or younger players instead of getting the opportunity to coach based on experience, merit and track record.
Having said that, Keshika is one step closer to helping to bridge that gap in sports after being appointed as the sports ambassador for WAO.
“They’re an incredible organisation that does so many incredible things to empower women. To be an ambassador for them has been a life changing experience for me as I get to share my love for sports with younger generation, especially girls,” she said.
“I’m a big believer in visibly making a difference in bridging the gap when it comes to gender inequality. With WAO appointing women professionals in sports as ambassadors, this increases visibility for young girls to see the possibilities of taking on such roles, which will then lead to them pursuing these occupations without that additional barrier of not being able to visualise such possibilities.”
As living proof that gender equality is possible, Keshika is determined to continue putting herself in positions of discomfort and take on bigger challenges. This is one sure way for her to learn, grow and keep evolving to become a better version of herself, while setting an example for the younger ones.
As part of the DIGIyin Saathanai Hero-kkal campaign, we’re constantly looking to share stories of Malaysian ‘superheroes’ that live amongst us.
If you know a hero or if you have an inspirational story about overcoming challenges, we’d love to hear from you. Just submit your story at RAAGA’s website or click the image above.
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