International Women’s Day Spotlight: Tanisha Gupta in Pune, India

On overcoming societal barriers and becoming one of India’s leading freestyle footballers

By Where Is Football

March 8^th, 2025

At just 19 years old, Tanisha Gupta has already become one of the leading footballers in the freestyle football community in India. Based in the city of Pune in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, Tanisha has gained a huge following on social media, and we spoke with Tanisha on International Women's Day about her football journey, the barriers she has had to overcome in pursuing being a freestyle footballer, and how she hopes to inspire women across the world by showcasing her skills and creativity through the art of freestyle football.

Could you tell us about who you are and a bit about your first experiences playing football?

My name is Tanisha Gupta, I’m 19 years old, originally from Bihar, but I currently live in Pune. I fell in love with football when I was in 4th grade. Since my dad’s job requires us to move every 5 years, I was in Gujarat at that time.

I used to play football with the boys, and there were only three girls who played with them. Society looked down on us for playing with boys, and I could feel the judgment.

Then, my dad got transferred to Punjab, and when I was around 13, I was the only girl playing with the boys. The society was even harsher, and my friends’ moms used to say things like, “Stay away from her; she plays with boys, she’s a bad influence,” and so on.

International Women’s Day Spotlight: Tanisha Gupta in Pune, India

And how did you overcome that, stay true to yourself, and go on this journey with freestyle football?

It got really tough, and while I loved playing, I found myself constantly worrying that an aunty or uncle might see me! When COVID hit, I couldn’t play with others, but I couldn’t let go of football either. So, I started training alone on my terrace, doing wall passes, dribbling drills, and eventually learning street skills like panna. One day, I came across a video of Yoanna Freestyle, and I was amazed by her skills. Then I found Aguska Freestyle, and I completely fell in love with her moves. I started learning freestyle football from YouTube, training hard every day.

I created an Instagram page, even though I wasn’t allowed to have one at the time. I had to hide it from my parents, so I would post my videos using my friends’ phones when they were busy with cricket. The quality of the videos wasn’t great, but my skills were improving. Then, one day, one of my dad’s friends saw my video go viral and praised my skills. My dad was so proud, and it felt amazing.

Now, I’m working hard every day to improve my skills, and I feel like “the world is starting to know my name.”

How does it feel to be a leader and role model empowering other women who love football?

My goal is not only to keep pushing myself but also to motivate other women who are doubted and judged. I want to prove to them and those who once doubted me that I can achieve anything that I set my mind to.