Tibetan girl's thirst for football undimmed by pandemic

Eighteen-year-old Tibetan girl Pubu Droma and her teammates have often shared exercise video clips, football-related articles and online games with each other on Chinese social media platform WeChat over the past few months.

Currently unable to play football due to restrictions linked to the COVID-19 epidemic, this women's football team from Nankai University in North China's Tianjin have instead moved the football pitch onto their smartphones.

"We cannot play football together, but we never stop practicing our skills, even if we live in different cities in China," said team captain Pubu Droma.

Trying to allow more girls to feel inspired by football was a frustrating endeavor for Pubu Droma, but she stood by her passion and did a lot of work.

As a 2019 freshman with an enthusiasm for football and good skills, Pubu Droma became the striker and captain of a men's football team at Nankai, and signed up for her school's freshmen football games as soon as she enrolled.

However, Pubu Droma's inclusion was not without controversy, as she was initially refused admission to the team due to her gender, and was ridiculed by several of her peers.

This upset Pubu Droma, but the school's football association decided to give her another chance and organized an online vote among the captains of all participating teams.

Pubu Droma received many votes of support from other players and finally got the chance to be the only female player in a men's team. She soon won over the doubters with her skills and enthusiasm on the pitch, in the process breaking down barriers and gaining respect.

"Football is a team game regardless of gender. Everyone has to do their best for their team's honor and victory, as well as doing what they love," she said, noting that she did not want to be the only girl on the pitch.