Ranis of football!

The Smt RSB AVM (Juhu) girls U-16 football team during a practice session in Juhu recently. Pics/Shadab Khan

Given the manner in which the Smt RSB Arya Vidya Mandir (Juhu) girls football team have dominated the inter-school football scene in the recent past, it won't be wrong to call them the Ranis (Queens) of the game.

Interestingly, the girls have been winners in the last two editions of mid-day Ranis of Rink, Mumbai's only inter-school rink football tournament for under-16 girls.

After the inaugural season of the eight-team, five-a-side tournament in 2019, the AVM girls won Season-II in 2022, beating Dhirubhai Ambani (Bandra) in the final, and then defended the title in the third season (2024), beating Rustomejee Cambridge International (Dahisar) in the finale.

The AVM girls' continuous growth, especially in the Mumbai Schools Sports Association girls U-16 Division I, has been commendable.

The full squad

The girls school lacks sporting infrastructure (they do not have access to a full-size football field and train on a 30x80m school ground). There is also no professional coaching set up (they are trained by their physical education teacher-cum-football coach Desmond D'Souza). Yet, they have aced Mumbai's inter-school football events.

Steady path to progession

It has been a slow, but sure path to progression in football for this Juhu school, who first won the MSSA U-12 title in 2014. The girls U-16 team have been winners of the Division-I title in 2017-18, 2019-20 and 2023-24. In between, they finished runners-up in 2018-19. In 2020-21 and 2021-22 the tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The following season, they did not have a team and refrained from participating in the tournament.

Desmond D'Souza

On Thursday, they will be looking to defend their MSSA Division-I title when they face Bombay Scottish (Mahim) in the final at St Francis D'Assisi ground, Borivli. In the semi-finals, they got the better of a promising Rustomjee Cambridge International (Dahisar) 4-1. The top performers for AVM have been forward Norah Bhattacharya with four goals and midfielder Radhika Vyas with three. The AVM outfit has been well led by Stuti Kothari over the last few years. This year the team have been phenomenal. They have not just done well at the MSSA tournament, but have also succeeded at district, state and national-level meets.

Also Read: AVM Juhu do the double!

The AVM girls emerged triumphant in the District Sports Office-organised Subroto Cup. In the DSO Mumbai suburban final, they beat Rustomjee Cambridge International School (Dahisar) 2-1. They then beat DSO Mumbai city champions Bombay Scottish (Mahim) 2-0 to emerge Divisional champions. At the state meet held at Balewadi, Pune, they trumped Nagpur Division 2-0 in the summit clash. Thereafter, they represented Maharashtra at the 63rd Subroto International football tournament for girls U-17 at New Delhi - this is the first time a girls team from Maharashtra achieved this feat. At the Subroto tournament, they played three matches, winning two and losing one.

Smt RSB AVM's talented midfielder Radhika Vyas during a training session

PE teacher D'Souza has been the coach and sole strategist for the girls. "I joined the school as a physical education teacher in 2009. Before that, I was a football coach, so that came in handy. I started football with the Class III girls and gradually moved on to U-14 and U-16. Our girls train on a ground that is less than half the size of a regular football field, but that has not stopped them from achieving success on the big stage. These girls are extremely hardworking, talented and passionate about the game. As a trainer, I get them to concentrate on their fitness and dynamic exercises besides some fundamental football skills. Our principal [Damanjit Kaur Sabherwal] permits the girls to train daily during their last two lectures. There is no
compromising on studies," explained D'Souza.

Midfield mainstay

On the football field, medio Radhika is coach D'Souza's go-to player. The fact that she can play in multiple possessions with ease, is beneficial to the team. Standing five feet tall, Radhika is an all-rounder - she can play up-front, where she scores and assists, and is equally effective when she retreats to defend. "Radhika is a midfielder, but I have trained her to play in any position as per a given situation. She's a huge asset for our team," said D'Souza.
Principal Sabherwal attributes the team's success to D'Souza's keen eye for identifying and nurturing raw talent. "Our girls have demonstrated that with unity, strategy, and a never-give-up attitude, they can conquer the toughest challenges. Their triumphs at district, state and national level are a reflection of their commitment, making them true champions on and off the field. Without the luxuries of having a dedicated football ground, they have an equally passionate sports master in Desmond [D'Souza]. He is their coach, mentor and guide. He has turned raw talent into match-winners. They've risen to the top, inspiring us all with their remarkable journey," concluded Sabherwal.

View from an expert

Anagha janakkiraman, Former national-level footballer
Though I'm away, pursuing my Bachelors degree at The Hague University of Applied Sciences in The Netherlands, I always keep myself updated about the achievements of my school's football team. It was a huge honour for me when I led our team to its maiden MSSA Div-1 U-16 title in 2017. Our motto - AVM Juhu plays to win - has been most inspirational. As a former captain and player, it's very heart-warming to see my school doing well in football over the years. I have met the current team members and their parents and I noticed that they have the same passion and hunger that we possessed seven years ago. Our coach Desmond [D'Souza] sir has has a fine eye for talent.

‘Confident of doing well this season'

Stuti Kothari, Captain of U-16 team
‘All of us love playing football and most of us have been playing together for the last few years. Due to this, we understand each other's style of play and that helps us work well as a unit. We are extremely grateful to our school, our coach and parents for always being very supportive. Their guidance has helped us manage our studies and sports successfully. We have a good team and are in good form. We are ready to give our best to win the MSSA U-16 title this year. We are confident of succeeding.'

‘We trust each other on the field'

Radhika Vyas, Top performer
‘Desmond sir is very good at reading the opposition. He changes his strategy as per the requirement of each match. He plays me in different positions and I'm happy to deliver for my team. I don't feel only I am a special player, we are all special players. We trust each other on the field. This is the secret to our success."