An opportunity for me to be a good ambassador for Indian women’s football: Dangmei Grace on her move to FC Nasaf

After dazzling in the Indian Women's League (IWL), Dangmei Grace is making inroads into international football as she recently signed for Uzbek club FC Nasaf.

The star forward revealed on Wednesday that playing abroad has been her dream "for a long time."

In an interaction with the AIFF Media Team, Grace insisted that signing for the Qarshi-based club would give her the golden opportunity to represent Indian football at the international level. She said:

“I am extremely excited. It’s a dream come true for me. It was not an overnight dream for me. In fact, playing abroad has been a dream for a long time. I used to daydream a lot about this day. It’s an opportunity for me to show my skills, and be a good ambassador for Indian women’s football.”

FC Nasaf wanted to sign the 26-year-old in January. However, Grace was then contracted to Gokulam Kerala, who eventually won the IWL title. Furthermore, Grace started her international career in 2013 and has won the South Asian Games (2016, 2019) and SAFF Women’s Championships (2016, 2019) twice.

However, the Manipur-born footballer now wants to broaden her horizons with this brand new venture. She added:

“I want to share my experience as I have played with the national team for many years. I want to explore myself here. I have played three international matches against the Uzbekistan national team, and they are very tough.”

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“I know everything will be different in Uzbekistan" - Dangmei Grace on her new journey abroad

Grace started out her domestic venture with KRYPHSA FC before joining Sethu FC in the 2018-19 season. She won the IWL title with the Madurai-based club and then moved on to Gokulam Kerala FC.

With the Malabarians, she won back-to-back IWL titles and also qualified for the AFC Women's Club Championship. In the Asian club competition, Grace put in a brilliant performance against Uzbek outfit FC Bunyodkor (on November 14). Although she didn't register a goal or an assist, she controlled the game as Gokulam won the match by a 3-1 margin.

Grace is well aware that the challenge in Uzbekistan will be very different, but she's ready for the same. She explained:

“I know everything will be different in Uzbekistan -- their playing style, the culture. I will need to adapt fast, make new friends. But I am extremely excited to bring on this new challenge and share my experiences."

When Bala Devi signed for Rangers FC in 2020, becoming the first Indian women's footballer to have a professional contract with a foreign club, it surely inspired a generation of footballers to take a similar leap of faith.

Grace, with her move to FC Nasaf, would do the same for many young footballers. In her concluding statement, the Manipur-born had a message for the younger girls:

"My message to the young girls will be, keep trying -- anything can happen if you keep believing in yourself. Whatever challenges you face please don’t give up, keep trying until you reach your goal."

Now, aided by all the international exposure Dangmei has garnered over the years, she will be hoping to grow as a player and realize her dream of playing for a European outfit soon enough.