Three talented young girls from a rural seaside village in Sri Lanka have joined the country’s under-17 national women’s football team in a triumphant conclusion to a story about beating the odds.

There are many financial and social obstacles where sports are concerned, but for women in Sri Lanka it’s a particularly difficult field to succeed in. Which makes the journey of these three 15-year-olds from Shariputra Maha Vidyalaya school in Heenatigala, Galle district to playing in the world’s best stadiums remarkably inspiring.

Meet Maheshi, Kulmi and Nethmi.

Goalkeeper Maheshi Pradeepika is a plucky player with big dreams about being a successful international footballer. Her dreams are now coming true.

“I am very excited about being selected for the national team,” she said, adding that she’s certain it will be an amazing experience. She started playing football when she was 13 thanks to funding for a school team from a donor abroad. She believes that anything can be achieved with hard work. Her school’s team will be participating in another tournament in January.

Kulmi Shehara started playing football in eighth grade at the age of 13, and now plays as a defender. “I really like sports, especially when we play in teams, which is why I started playing football,” says Kulmi. “I’m extremely happy about being selected to play in the national team, which was hard work. My goal is to become the best football player in Sri Lanka,” said Kulmi.

She spoke about how playing football has opened doors for her even in terms of life experiences. Her first trip abroad was for a tournament and came with the excitement of meeting people from other countries.

Her journey into the U17 team has been a rollercoaster of excitement and nervousness. She only had three chances to fight for her position in the team, which she overcame successfully. Kulmi is very thankful to her coaches.

Nethmi Nirasha Dewini joined the team with the others when it was brought to her school as the only extracurricular activity. She is now her team’s striker. While it was curiosity that made her join, she hadn’t expected to achieve so much.

“I study and do my homework at night, and practise in the afternoon, that’s how I balance my work,” said Nethmi who is now preparing for her O-level examinations next year. “It is because of my coaches and my mother that I’ve come this far. I didn’t like football at first, but because of their encouragement, football is my life now.”

But of course, playing for the national team comes with sacrifices. The frequent practices have taken up the majority of the girl’s schedules. Kulmi usually completes her homework in the morning while Mahesh and Nethmi try to complete their homework at school and study for exams at night.

The girls claimed that they did not always get to play against other teams in a match environment because there were more boys’ teams than girls’ teams. Currently, they play around six matches a year.

The Football Federation of Sri Lanka was banned by FIFA in January 2023, after the national sports ministry introduced regulations that limited the independence of national sports organisations. The ban was lifted in August 2023 after governance reforms.

The Sri Lankan men’s football team is currently ranked 200th by FIFA, while the women’s team is ranked 157th.

The emergence of young athletes like Maheshi, Kulmi and Nethmi can inspire other young Sri Lankans to pursue their passion for sports, and help improve the quality of the game in the country.

Their contribution to the U17 team is one of pure dedication and hard work. These three young athletes are on their way to the international stage against all odds to pursue their passion for football. With the right amount of determination and hard work, there is no dream that we too cannot achieve.