Franz Gastler, hailing from Edina Minnesota had studied at Boston University and Harvard Law School. He also had a high paying job with decent savings. However, he decided to travel more than 13,000 km from his home to a tiny village in Jharkhand, India to galvanize tribal girls to play football and  induct them into a professional team. However, he had no professional history of football in his career and no where near qualified as a coach except for the determination he possessed.

After a professional tour to India his had decided that he should give up his job. He opened a football academy coaching tribal girls at Orh-manjhi which is now attracting hundreds of tribal girls to the sport  who have all taken the sport seriously.

He says, "My biggest achievement has been getting these girls out of their homes, making them part of the team, delay their marriages and inculcate feeling of self pride in them. I want to expand their horizons. Mine may not be the best football academy of India but I want it to be the best."

He calls the Hutup village his home now. He also teaches the girls to speak English. Three of the girls in his team had participated in the national football junior championships.

His students have given him full credit for molding them from tribal girls who stayed back home to budding footballers in the nation who have been recognized nationwide.

Franz had cleared the hurdles, set a little higher than usual, with great determination as he had successfully goaded the parents to allow their daughters take up the sport. Franz has become a household name in the village.

His academy was funded by his savings, family and other donors for the academy. Franz said that he missed his family and friends back in the US but has fallen in love with the life in India and the food.

(AW- Anil)