BENGALURU: After wearing the Bengaluru FC colours in the Super Division at the Bangalore Football Stadium during the 2023-24 season, teenager Rinsha Maryam made big strides and has now joined the Portuguese side Clube de Albergaria U-19 women’s team this season, marking another step in her rapid rise.On Saturday, the 18-year-old travelled to Lisbon for a round 4 match in the U-19 Liga Feminina against Benfica U-19. She debuted in the club’s season opener against Rio Tinto U-19 last month.“I always loved playing football, and when I got the opportunity to play football in Portugal, I didn’t think twice. I knew it was my place, the place where my idol, the greatest of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo is from. I luckily have the best, most supportive parents, so they gave it their all and sent me there to chase my dreams,” Rinsha told TOI from Lisbon.“As soon as I arrived and started training, a huge wave of reality hit. Football wasn’t just a game that you played to have fun. It was culture, it was emotion, it meant so much more than just kicking a ball. “I mean, of course I knew what I was getting myself into, but I did not realize how quickly things could change,” she added.“I worked every day, training with boys, building myself bit by bit, to match the intensity, technique and intelligence of the other players. I eventually adapted to the training schedules and levels, I passed through a couple of clubs, like Juveforce and NEGE, before earning a spot in Clube de Albergaria, which plays in the U-19 first division national women’s league in Portugal. I was overjoyed,” Rinsha said reflecting on her journey to the Portuguese club,Albergaria, a quiet municipality in central Portugal, competes against the likes of defending champions Sporting CP and heavyweights SC Braga and SL Benfica.The youngster, who played for the Karnataka junior team in 2024, is a rising talent who operates on the left wing. Rinsha, whose family hails from Kasargod, Kerala, grew up in the city. “She passed her Class X from Christ Academy, Begur Road. She was then selected for a short training camp in Portugal following a talent hunt conducted by Portugal’s Pro Football Academy. The scouts selected nine boys and one girl, and only she made the trip,” Rinsha’s father Rasheed MP told TOI.“For the last two and a half years, she has been studying and playing in Portugal after the academy offered her a long-term contract. She has now taken a gap year but is likely to get enrolled in the USA on a sports scholarship,” he added. “Her ambition is to emerge as a top player in Europe,” he added, underscoring her clear next step.In 2023, Rinsha, a black belt in karate and a gold winner in the South Asian Taekwondo Championship, was selected for the U-17 national camp. She then continued her impressive run in the KSFA women’s leagues, wearing the BFC colours in the A Division, Super Division and Khelo India tournament before flying out to Europe.Looking forward, Rinsha knows the road to the top has just begun, and she dreams of wearing the Barca colours one day.“Has everything I’ve worked for this far finally giving me the results I was hoping for? Yes, and no. I knew this wasn’t the end. This is just the beginning. It is indeed a huge milestone in my career, being able to play officially in a European first division youth league. But I always learned to dream one step beyond what you believe you can achieve. So I believe there is loads more to come, I dream to play for FC Barcelona one day, and as humbly as possible, I want to say that I can and will get there because step one is to set that dream, and that is done. With all the support from my family, friends, country and my coaches, I know for sure , the track I am on now is going to take me to great heights.”
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