In a remote village in Sawai Madhopur district, Rajasthan, 19-year-old coach Manish Kumar has sparked a quiet revolution by training girls in football and addressing the broader challenges they face, including menstrual dignity and lack of facilities.

Initially mocked by villagers who questioned why he coached girls instead of boys, Manish’s steadfast commitment has seen his team rise to win district and state–level matches, shifting local attitudes on gender and sport.

A pivotal moment came during a tournament where one player struggled due to no clean washrooms or sanitary pads leading Manish to ensure such basic needs are met for every match.

Local officials and gender-equality initiatives now highlight his work as part of a wider movement in Rajasthan that connects sport with dignity and social change, even as wider gaps in menstrual hygiene access persist in rural India.

How One Coach Changed a Village’s Mind

On a dusty football field in Sawai Madhopur, what began as a lone coach’s “foolish” effort has become a symbol of community transformation. When Manish Kumar first invited village girls to practise football, many villagers laughed and asked, “Why waste time on them?” or “Who will even let girls play?” Despite this derision, Manish returned every evening with a football and a whistle, believing that girls deserved equal opportunity on the field.

The turning point came during an away tournament when one of his players got her period. There were no clean washrooms, no sanitary pads, and no private space for her to manage her menstrual health a stark reminder that talent alone cannot thrive without dignity and basic facilities. “That day I realised talent means nothing if dignity is missing,” Manish later shared in community discussions.

Since then, he has ensured that his team travels with sufficient sanitary pads, clean washrooms are checked in advance, and players feel safe and supported at every step. His efforts are part of a broader shift in the village where talking about menstruation once carried stigma, young men like Manish are now redefining masculinity and gender norms. The initiative has built respect from parents and fellow villagers, who now cheer loudly at matches that their daughters once never would have been allowed to attend.

District sports officials, while not always issuing formal statements, have noted an increase in girls’ participation in local competitions, linking this rise to community coaching efforts and improved awareness of girls’ needs from the pitch to basic hygiene. Coaches and grassroots organisers say this model reinforces that sport is not only about competition but also about safety, inclusion and dignity.

Breaking Taboos, Building Safe Spaces

Manish’s efforts align with wider gender-equality work underway in Sawai Madhopur and beyond. According to a recent report by UNFPA India, groups like YUVAW (Youth United to address Violence Against Women), supported locally, are actively engaging young men to redefine gender roles with Manish’s advocacy on and off the field held up as an example. These discussions challenge long-held taboos, especially around menstruation a subject historically shrouded in silence in rural Rajasthan.

Addressing menstrual health is not just a local issue; at the national level, India has been gradually recognising the need for better menstrual hygiene management. Recent policy shifts call for sanitary napkins to be made available at schools, with separate toilets for girls, although implementation gaps remain especially in remote villages where distribution and access continue to be inconsistent.

In the context of sport, access to clean toilets and menstrual products can make or break girls’ participation. Manish’s efforts to pre-stage facilities for matches and ensure access to hygiene supplies have become a practical model that others are beginning to adopt during local events. Coaches in neighbouring districts have informally shared tips on scheduling matches near venues with better amenities and coordinating with organisers to ensure dignity is never an afterthought.

The transformation is visible: what began as skepticism towards girls on a football field has now grown into respect for their talent and dignity, with families travelling farther for matches and community leaders publicly acknowledging how sport is helping girls build confidence and agency.

Rajasthan’s Sport and Social Change

Rajasthan has witnessed several notable developments in girls’ sport beyond Sawai Madhopur. For example, the Zinc Football Girls Academy a partnership between Hindustan Zinc Ltd and the All India Football Federation recently opened in Zawar near Udaipur as the country’s first fully residential girls’ football academy, complete with modern infrastructure and training tailored for young female athletes. This initiative seeks to bridge rural talent with professional opportunities.

The academy’s establishment underlines that football is increasingly being recognised as a tool for empowerment, not just recreation. AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey noted that growth in women’s player registrations and India’s senior women’s national team qualifying for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 has bolstered interest and support for grassroots programmes.

Additionally, across other parts of Rajasthan including Ajmer district girls’ football programmes are breaking conventions and transforming lives, with integrated support connecting sport to health, nutrition, and personal development. These initiatives extend the impact of sport into broader social spheres, reinforcing what communities gain when girls are supported holistically rather than singled out by injustice.

Yet, challenges persist. In parts of Rajasthan, rural girls still grapple with limited access to menstrual hygiene products when government schemes falter or face supply issues underscoring why grassroots action remains crucial.

The Logical Indian’s Perspective

At The Logical Indian, we view Manish Kumar’s journey and the broader developments in Rajasthan as powerful reminders that gender equality grows where dignity is upheld.

True empowerment extends beyond scoring goals; it requires challenging stigma, providing safe infrastructure, and recognising every young woman’s right to dream, to play and to be treated with respect.

Sport, in this sense, is not just a game it is an avenue for dialogue, inclusion and mutual respect. Connecting basic needs like menstrual hygiene to participation in public life reflects our belief that progress must be comprehensive: equitable, respectful and sustained.