The Modern India Podcast #80-Playing Without Apology

In this episode of The First and Only, I speak with Sara Abdullah Pilot, co-founder of Centre for Equity and Inclusion (CEQUIN), about what it truly costs for girls to play — especially when they are the first and only in their families.

Before the pitch, there is permission.
Before ambition, there is justification.
Before talent, there is negotiation:

Is it safe? Is it respectable? Is it necessary?

Sara works with girls who are fighting systems they should never have had to fight — families to convince, institutions to educate, silence to push against. Our conversation makes one thing clear: resistance is systemic, not personal.

This episode is not just about football.

It’s about power, voice, and what it takes to claim space without apology — so that the next generation doesn’t have to fight the same battles alone.