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Manisha Kalyan Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

Quick Info

Date of birth27 November 2001

Age20 Years (as of 2021)

BirthplaceVillage Mugowal, Hoshiarpur, Punjab, India

ProfessionIndian Football Player

NationalityIndian

Marital statusUnmarried

FamilyFather - Narinder Pal; Mother - Rajkumari Pal; Sister - Sonam Pal

Manisha Kalyan Biography

A forward-thinking Indian footballer from Punjab, Manisha Kalyan rose from playing with boys in her village to becoming the first Indian to appear in theUE

Early life and background

Manisha Kalyan was born on 27 November 2001 in the village of Mugowal in Hoshiarpur, Punjab. She grew up in a household where her father, Narinder Pal, ran a business and her mother, Rajkumari Pal, managed the home. An elder sister, Sonam Pal, is part of the family. Manisha attended Sant Attar Singh Khalsa Senior Secondary School and later graduated from Mehr Chand Mahajan (MCM) DAV College for Women in Chandigarh.

Football came into her life through school. As a youngster she tried sprinting and basketball, but she often played football with boys after practice. It was her physical education teacher, Brahmjit Singh, who recognized her potential and persuaded her parents to let her pursue the sport seriously. Early on she cycled long distances—about 2.5 miles—to reach her coaching academy.

Manisha’s family faced significant hardship when her father had an accident that left him partially paralyzed while she was in ninth grade. Treatment costs and financial strain meant the family had limited resources for sports equipment and training. Support for her football journey came from her coach and from a businessman from the village based in the United Kingdom, who helped with funding when needed.

Career

Manisha began participating in organized football around the age of thirteen. She represented her school at regional, state and national-level tournaments and was selected to play in the Border Security Force’s team for the Oorja Cup. Her performance there led to an offer to join Kenkre FC in Mumbai, though she sought her family’s permission before moving.

In 2017 she joined Sethu FC of Madurai and played a key role for the club in the 2018 Indian Women’s League. Later that year she was selected for national age-group squads: the India U-17 side that competed at the BRICS Cup in South Africa and the India U-18 team at the SAFF Women’s Championship. In October 2018 she produced a standout performance by scoring a hat-trick against Pakistan in the U-19 AFC Women’s Championship.

Manisha’s senior international debut came in January 2019 in a match against Hong Kong. She continued to feature for India in 2021 in fixtures against teams such as the UAE, Bahrain and Jordan. In November 2021 she scored for India at the International Football Tournament of Manaus in a match against Brazil.

At club level she represented Gokulam Kerala FC in the Indian Women’s League, scoring multiple goals in the 2019 edition. Her performances in domestic competition were recognized in 2021 and 2022: she received the AIFF Women Emerging Footballer of the Year award in 2021 and won the Hero of the League award at the Indian Women’s League in 2022.

In 2022 Manisha moved abroad, signing with Apollon Ladies FC in Cyprus. Later that year she became the first Indian player to take part in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, marking a milestone for Indian women’s football.

Public profile

Manisha is listed at approximately 172 cm (5 feet 8 inches) tall and around 60 kg (132 lbs). Her eyes are dark brown and her hair is black. She has worn jersey numbers 12 for Apollon Ladies FC and 16 for the Indian women’s national team.

Her rise from a small Punjabi village to international club football has been framed by interviews recounting the early obstacles she and her family faced, including financial hardship and social skepticism in her village when she chose a sporting path uncommon for local girls at the time. Coaches and community members who supported her—most notably her PE teacher Brahmjit Singh—play a recurring role in accounts of her development.

Latest updates

In 2022 she was playing for Apollon Ladies FC in Cyprus and made history by appearing in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, becoming the first Indian to do so. That same year she was honored domestically with the Hero of the League award in the Indian Women’s League.

Manisha remains unmarried and continues to represent India internationally while building her club career abroad. Her story is frequently cited as an example of emerging opportunities for Indian women’s footballers on the international stage.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Manisha Kalyan, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

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Recent Work

Apollon Ladies FC

Signed with the Cyprus-based club and became one of the few Indian women to be drafted by a foreign club; appeared in the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

2022
Gokulam Kerala FC

Represented the club in the Indian Women’s League and won the Hero of the League award in 2022.

2022
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Career Highlights

  1. First Indian to play in the UEFA Women’s Champions League (August 22, 2022)
  2. AIFF Women Emerging Footballer of the Year (2021)
  3. Hero of the League award at the Indian Women’s League (2022)
  4. Scored a hat-trick for India U-19 against Pakistan in the AFC U-19 Championship (2018)
  5. Senior international debut for India (January 2019 vs Hong Kong)
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Manisha Kalyan born?

Manisha Kalyan was born on 27 November 2001.

What is Manisha Kalyan known for?

Manisha Kalyan is known for indian Football Player.

What is Manisha Kalyan’s marital status?

Manisha Kalyan's marital status is listed as Unmarried.