Kanhan's Suman becomes first deaf girl of Nagpur district to achieve D License in football coaching

12.06.2025

Nagpur: "Being deaf is not a limitation-it's my strength," says 22-year-old Suman Jaiswal from Kanhan, a small town near Nagpur. Suman's determination led her to become one of the first deaf individuals to complete the All India Football Federation (AIFF) D Licence coaching course, establishing a significant milestone in Indian football.

She is now the first deaf girl from Nagpur district to achieve the D License in coaching.

Suman said, "I live in a rural area with my parents and two brothers. My family once believed my future should be limited to marriage. But everything changed the day I first kicked a football during a Slum Soccer event. It gave me a sense of freedom. Since then, I have travelled over 20 km every day to train."

To become AIFF's D License holder coach, Suman joined other deaf coaches at the Mumbai campus of Reliance Corporate Park between June 2 and 7.

The course was organized jointly by the AIFF, Slum Soccer and Reliance Foundation.

Shailesh Karkera, the coach educator said, "This was a unique and enriching experience. Verbal communication is key in coaching, but these coaches overcame every barrier with exceptional dedication and work ethic."

Karkera added, "With tools from this course, they can follow the AIFF coaching pathway-from grassroots to professional football."

For Suman, this achievement is just the beginning. She said, "The course gave me confidence to lead, teach, and grow. Now I want to use these skills to train deaf players-especially girls who are told what they can't do. I want to lead by example and prove that football is for everyone."