From stone pelter in Kashmir to professional footballer: Story of Afshan Ashiq, participating in PM's Fit India Dialogue

Almost three years ago, in December 2017, a girl was shot pelting stones on security forces in the Kothi Bagh area of Srinagar, Kashmir. Today this same girl is participating in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiative Fit India dialogue online. This female footballer from Jammu and Kashmir is among the top sportsperson and athletes along with Virat Kohli, actor Milind Soman and dietician Rujuta Diwekar who are part of this Fit India dialogue with PM Narendra Modi on September 24. 

According to a statement released by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the interaction with PM will be online. Those participating will share their story with Prime Minister Modi. He too will share his views on health and fitness.'

'As fitness has come to focus during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Fit India dialogue will mainly on nutrition, health, and fitness,'the AIFF statement added. 

Jammu and Kashmir football team goalkeeper Afshan Ashiq will also share her story with the Prime Minister. Afshan first shot to limelight when she was clicked pelting stones at the security forces in Srinagar, three years ago. 

According to Afshan, the incident happened when she was taking her 20 member girls' football team to government high school at Kothi Bagh area for practice. She along with her team stood there when they saw some boys pelting stones at police while protesting against action on Pulwama Degree College. 

Misunderstanding these girls to be part of stone pelters one of the police jawans allegedly slapped one of the Afshan Ashiq team members. Agitated at this action from police, Afshan along with her team started pelting stones at the police. This is when some photographers covering the protest clicked Afshan Ashiq and the picture went viral on social media in December 2017. 

Afshan is now the captain of Kashmir's women's football team. She coaches youngsters who aspire to become professional footballers. She represented FC Kolhapur City in the 2019 Indian Women's League football competition. 25-year-old Afshan has been knocking at the national team doors for quite some time now. The national team's doors for her entry are still not open but she is now