“I love shooting goals and I think that is what makes me passionate about netball,” says Nilofar, referring to her favourite position in the sport — goal attack.

It started as a leadership programme for children from the economically weaker section — at Deepalaya, students come from families with a monthly income of less than Rs 3,000. Nilofar’s father makes leather garments while her mother is a housewife. Her elder brother is 18 years old and is hunting for a job.

“Netball was initially a tool for empowerment,” said coach Deepali Sharma, an international netball player and a volunteer with Naz Foundation that organised the programme. “But then we saw Nilofar was incredibly good at the game.”

Competing against 34 girls at the trials held last December, Nilofar was selected to represent Delhi in the under-19 category of the national netball tournament in January.

Following a successful spell at the tournament — Delhi won all five matches against Chandigarh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Chattisgarh — Nilofar has decided to make a career out of netball.

Though her parents are supportive now, it took time to convince them of the merits of the game. “My father didn’t allow me to attend practice initially. No Muslim girl from my place, Prahladpur, had done anything like this before. And then our netball kit includes a short skirt, which my father didn’t like to see me in,” said Nilofar.

That’s where her mother stepped in. “It was a problem to begin with. Nilofar is a girl... we were worried how she would come home late, and thought it would be difficult to marry her off,” said her mother, Farah. “Then I told my husband that it is her career. He eventually gave in. And now she has made us proud.”

Shikha Pal, principal of Deepalaya School, said: “We will support Nilofar in her pursuit of netball. We are proud of her hard work and determination. She can even pursue a Bachelor’s degree in physical education.”

Nilofar’s long-term goal is to represent India internationally. And to achieve that, she is busy refining her shooting skills, so that she can win a place in the team for the upcoming Commonwealth Games.

“I couldn’t have done it without my coach; she helps strategise our games and above all treats us like a friend,” said Nilofar.