In Padampura village of Rajasthan, sisters Nisha Vaishnav, 14, and Munna, 18, noticed a family photographing them, during football practice.They were scouting a bride for their son.Despite India’s legal marriage age of 18 for women, about 23 per cent were married before turning 18, according to the latest National Family Health Survey.In Rajasthan, these figures often sit well above the national average.The family later visited the sisters’ home to finalise a proposal. “My mother asked me to touch their feet as a mark of respect,” Nisha told BBC. “I refused.”The sisters’ ability to say ‘no’ in a conservative environment was powered by the purpose instilled in them by Football for Freedom. It is an initiative by the Mahila Jan Adhikar Samiti, which uses football as a transformative tool to empower girl child in rural Rajasthan. Since 2016, the programme has trained 800 girls across 13 villages in Rajasthan. It is claimed that child marriage of 72 girls were prevented under this programme.For the sisters, the sport became a way to escape social pressures.Munna joined the programme first, later introducing Nisha to the game in 2022. Initially, Munna had to challenge norms just to wear shorts on field instead of conservative clothing, facing criticism from local women for “exposing their legs”.Nisha soon earned a spot on the Rajasthan women’s football team at the 2024 National Football Championship. She even cut her hair short, defying local expectations to keep the hair long and cover faces with a ‘ghoonghat’ in the presence of men.Child marriage remains a stubborn reality despite being illegal. “In our community, we do it (child marriage) quietly,” admits the girls’ mother, Laali. “We don’t print invitations or set up tents,” she says, adding that the rush to marry girls off stems from the fear that if they remain single for too long, they may run away with boys.Padma Joshi, who is a part of Football for freedom, wants to educate families on the risks of early marriage, including malnutrition, poor mental health and sexual abuse.She believes the sport could offer girls a chance to earn livelihood.Nisha continues her school education while training for the national team. Munna, too, is a university student and mentors young girls under the Football for Freedom project.”Whether I am able to stop these girls from marrying young or not, I want to help them become something in life and realise their dreams,” she says.