John Abraham presenting Ankita Devi with an autographed ball.Law student Ankita Devi never expected the good fortune that befell her when she turned up for the 42nd match of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) between NorthEast United FC and Chennaiyin FC at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium on Thursday night. She was not only picked as the ISL’s one millionth fan with the league’s attendances crossing the one million mark, but also got a chance to meet the Highlanders’ co-owner and Bollywood actor John Abraham. At a brief function held on the ground at half-time, the all action hero handed over a souvenir ball personally autographed by him to her for being the owner of the particular ticket that completed the ISL’s one million fan mark. “It is very, very exciting to be named as the ISL’s one millionth fan,” an emotional Ankita told indiansuperleague.com. “I never believed that I would be the lucky one. I am overwhelmed and don’t know what to say. Today, maybe, fortune supported me and I got this chance.” Ankita Devi poses with the autographed football.Although she is a football fan, this was the first ISL game that Ankita has attended live. Earlier, she used to catch the games on TV with her hostel mates. “I am a football fan and I am enjoying the ISL, so I just came for the match with 7-8 friends,” she confessed. The unexpected meeting with Abraham overwhelmed her and left her completely numb. “John Abraham is one of my favorite actors. It was a dream to meet him and get a ball signed by him. I still have goosebumps and it was a great experience watching the game with him and Abhishek Bachchan. When it happened I was wondering if it was real or just a dream. It is wonderful to know that the ISL values its fans so much,” Ankita said.Her favourite NorthEast United player is Koke: “He has a lot of influence on all the games with his assists and goals. For me, he is one of the best players in the team,” she opined. Ankita is hopeful that the Highlanders can make the semi-finals. “I am not sure, but let’s hope for the best,” she concluded.
