Tanvie Hans - A Footballer and Entrepreneur

Could you tell us a little about yourself?

My name is Tanvie Hans. I am a footballer, also an entrepreneur. I started playing football when I was about 7 or 8 years old in Delhi, which is where I’m from. I also played various club sports for India and England. The most prominent names are Tottenham and Fulham, these are the two of clubs in England I played for, a couple of years ago. Then I came back to India in 2016 with the hope to make a difference in the football industry in any way I could.

How did you first get involved with football, and what inspired you to pursue it as a career?

I started playing with the boys, because there were just not enough girls that played back then and I fell in love with the sport and decided to pursue a career at whatever level I could, played for school, for state and at various other age categories. I played for university, college. I knew that I was at an unique position to come through the Indian system and get an opportunity to play in England as well. And, fortunately, you know, I was successful through the trials and then I got to play for these big clubs. So yeah, I just knew that I was in a unique position and I wanted to come back and make a difference in whatever way I could.

As a female athlete, what challenges have you faced in the football world and how have you overcome them?

I am still playing club-level football, and, yeah, I’m still aware of the problems that we face as female athletes. Some of these issues are exactly the same as those we faced 20 years ago. The biggest one is still not having enough access to sport - access to a competitive calendar for the majority of the year. Even today, training with the boys, playing in a mixed-gender team, or joining the men’s team remains the way to stay competitive. So yeah, having more competitions to play, more access to games, training, infrastructure, and coaching throughout much of the year would be ideal, would be a dream!

Tell us something about your venture ‘Sister in Sweats’. What inspired you to start this?

I’m one of the co-founders of ‘Sisters in Sweat’, a community exclusively for women, by women, bonded through sports and wellness. Our intention with ‘Sisters in Sweat’ is to provide greater and easier access for women across the country to play sports and engage in recreational activities. We’ve noticed that many women drop out of sports after a certain age. My co-founder, Swetha Subbhiah, is a well-known figure in the fitness industry, and I’m a footballer. Both of us understand the challenges, circumstances, and lack of opportunities that women face. So, I believe we were the perfect duo to establish ‘Sisters in Sweat’!

In what ways do you use your platform to raise awareness about LGBTQ+ issues and support the community?

So, generally speaking, within the sports industry - I'll specifically talk about football—within the women’s football circuit at least, I think if someone has a different sexuality or preference, it’s more accepted within the community. If your teammates are dating girls, for example, we’re all aware of it and it’s completely fine and comfortable among us. However, not everyone is fully comfortable being public about it, and I think that’s where social media can play a powerful role. It’s something I am slowly trying to do with the platform that I have.

Apart from sports, what do you enjoy doing the most?

Besides playing sports, I like watching movies and watching shows. I am quite a homebody. I don’t like parties and stuff, I avoid large social circles. But, maybe, intimate dinners, lunches, home cooked foods, that’s totally my scene.

How would you describe your personal style?

My personal style is quite bohemian! I like flowy clothes a lot, so not too much fitted stuff, more like dhoti pants, drop crotch pants with like a ganji and I’ll match it like maybe a ring or a nose ring, something very simple.

How do you resonate with Teejh?

Teejh actually caters to my very very limited palette for the kind of Indian wear and for the kind of jewellery that I actually would enjoy and feel comfortable and confident wearing. So, I think, for example, if you look at this ring piece alone that I am wearing from Teejh, it's stunning!! I just love it! It has that Indian charm. It has this classic look and at the same time, even with my other look with my regular clothes, it just stood out! It looks stunning. So, I think it caters to my palette and it feels like the perfect marriage between, you know, modern taste, modern Indian taste and also has its roots in some traditional Indian feeling.

What advice would you give to young LGBTQ+ individuals that aspire to pursue a career in sports?

What I would tell young athletes, female athletes, or just young athletes from the LGBTQ+ community is that the beauty of sports is that if you are good, you’re going to catch eyeballs. I’m sure there will be resistance and difficulties and things like that but, if you work hard enough and if your talent really stands out, it will earn you a voice and you cannot be overlooked if you’re that good! So, I would just say that your sexual orientation shouldn’t matter that much. I understand that for the Transgender community, it is much harder! That’s a big debate that is happening internationally. But, atleast, as far as, your sexuality is concerned, it shouldn’t come in the way. Your talent should speak for yourself! So yeah, just work hard and get to a point where no one can say anything to you, because you are that pretty good!