Mia Bhuta made history when she became the first Indian American to represent the US at the FIFA U-17 World Cup. The Goan interacted with the midfielder who has had a solid campaign so far and will play Morocco on Monday at the Fatorda Stadium
TG: Are you excited to be playing in Goa?
MB: I’m so excited to be here in Goa, this is a new area for me, I’ve never travelled to this place but it’s been beautiful so far. My teammates and I are all super-excited to see the stadium and also meet all the fans.
TG: The spotlight has been on you ever since the US team touched ground, does that add to the pressure?
MB: Yeah, it’s been a bit more pressure than I’m used to but honestly having this attention on me, I don’t really think about it as having the spotlight on me but rather a platform that’s been given to me and so I really want to use this platform to spread the message that I’ve been trying to get out just about inspiring younger girls to take up soccer and also inspire the people around them to invest in them and give them those opportunities. I don’t really think about it as pressure on me to perform or pressure on me to do well but rather just a platform that I can use to help other people.
TG: How would you say the games have gone for you so far?
MB: I think for all of us it has been super new to be here at the World Cup, it’s a different environment but everyone on the team has adapted really well to it. Personally, I’ve been happy with how I’m doing so far, trying to do the best I can to help my team in whatever ways I can. I’m so proud of how the team has been doing, I think everyone on the field has been doing incredible, everyone, even if we’re not starting, coming off the bench. There’s been so much support, this team is such a close group and I couldn’t ask for anything better. Technically on the field, everyone is so amazing and off the field so supportive and positive, it’s just the best environment overall.
TG: Megan Rapinoe shared the reel of your goal on her Instagram. How encouraging is it to have the backing of such stars?
MB: That was amazing! There are people that I’ve been looking up to forever and Megan Rapinoe is someone that I look up to for her skill on the field and all her talents there but also what she does off the field to impact the game. She’s made such incredible advancements for my generation and for younger players to come in. She’s left the game better than she found it and just watching her play now still inspires me so much. Seeing support from someone like her, someone who I’ve always idolised was amazing. It gave me so much more confidence and made me super excited. I know after that game, it was hard to sleep, not only just because of being in the World Cup, playing that first game but also seeing that message from her, so it meant a lot and I’m super grateful for players like her.
TG: Your grandparents hail from Rajkot. How did they react when they found out that their granddaughter would be donning the American colours in India?
MB: My grandparents have always supported me throughout my whole journey. They’ve known that this is something that I’ve been working towards my entire life so when they found out that I’d be here representing the United States they were obviously super proud of me, super happy for me to see what I can do on the field but I think they also knew how important the message for me was to send to younger girls about inspiring girls and less-developed countries like India to take up sports specifically soccer, so I think they were excited for me to have an opportunity to share this message even more and I think they believed in what I can do, so they’re excited to see me have an impact on the field but also off the field.
TG: The USWNT is doing really well in all age categories, what can India learn from the US to improve their game?
MB: Well, I think India has so much potential, there’s so many talented players here and I know in our game we saw people that had so much physical ability with speed, power and aggression. We really saw a lot of their potential but I think what these players need is support around them. I think the world needs to invest in girls' sports, especially in countries that are developing like India. They believe in themselves; all these players believe in themselves. They have big goals, they want to work hard, they want to achieve them but they need support from the people around them, coaches, leaders, government, they need all of that in order to succeed. So, I would just say to the world around them, we need your help and with your support, they can really change the world.
