IWL: Apurna shines for Indian Arrows, becomes new Narzary on block

Indian Arrows' 18-year-old striker Apurna Narzary, who has become the second 'Nazary' of Kokrajhar to shine in football after Halicharan Narzary, said that she grew up idolising the player.

Having one of their natives represent India at the international level is nothing new to the small town of Kokrajhar, which is situated near the India-Bhutan border in Assam. Halicharan Narzary has made the country proud with his exploits for the Blue Tigers.

Indian Arrows' 18-year-old striker Apurna Narzary has already made her mark on the Indian Women's League 2022, netting six goals for her side, to take the Young Tigresses up to fourth on the league table.

"He (Halicharan Narzary) is from our town, and back home, we are all his big fans. He's made our town proud when he represented India at the international level, and that is something that we have all grown up dreaming about. I too want to keep on improving and then play for the senior team one day - that is the dream," Apurna said.

The young striker has had the experience of representing India at the junior level, getting her first shot in national team colours during the SAFF U-18 Women's Championship earlier this year.

"It was a really special moment for me to get my first opportunity to represent India in the SAFF U-18 Championship. I've been in camp with the team since January, and there's much that I have learned over the months now," said Apurna, according to a release.

"The biggest thing that we have all learned is the importance of discipline. Eating in time, sleeping in time, and doing everything like clockwork does wonders to improve you as an athlete," he added.

However, representing the Indian Arrows in a senior competition like the IWL is an altogether different ballgame, something that Apurna feels will help make her become a better player.

"It's such a big opportunity for us here at the Arrows. We are getting 11 matches against experienced, senior players. Playing against senior players makes a huge difference and we get to learn a lot, especially how to use our physique, and how to react to different match situations. I think this will later on help us when we play other international teams," said Apurna.

( With inputs from ANI )