We do have active participation in national championship, national games by teams from various state associations. Playing in nationals help them get government jobs also. I fail to understand how much salary clubs are giving for 2 week IWL? They should continue with state and PSU model. Women's club football is not a very popular league, not even in italy / Spain.
Indian football team where all the players are child brides - and it's changing lives
The team with a difference includes players who were as young as five when they were chosen to be married, but through sport the girls are shedding off the pressures to meet tradition
Bonded by a love of the beautiful game, these girl footballers enjoy a kickabout like kids the world over.
But this is a team with a big difference – all the players are child brides.
Some were as young as five and still playing with dolls when they were married off by their elders.
When considered old enough, they will be sent to join their husbands to consummate their marriages and start a family.
But the sense of empowerment and independence the girls feel by playing football gives them another perspective.
They are shedding their fears and restrictive clothes to play the game, just like children all over the world.
More than 250 girls in Rajasthan, northern India, have taken football as part of two charities’ project to protect them.
Among the players is 13-year-old midfielder Payal Prajapat, who was married at seven but now wants a future standing on her own two feet.
She said: “When my parents saw me play football for the first time they were shocked. They couldn’t believe my talents. They could see I loved it. So they’ve agreed not to force me to join my husband for many years yet.
“I’ll keep working on them and eventually I will try to annul my marriage so that I can become a professional football player.”
Payal, the team’s leader in Ajmer, had to persuade her parents to let her play sport when members of the charity MJAS, Mahila Jan Adhikar Samiti, came to their village.
Co-ordinator Karuna Philip said: “It has changed these girls’ lives. Some have just gained confidence, others have used the sport to fight child marriage and educate their parents on opportunities in life
“It gives us immense pride to see these girls in shorts and running around freely when they were forced to keep their faces covered under a scarf for so long.”
Karuna and her team first faced huge resistance when they visited villages suggesting a football academy for young girls.
They faced a stereotype that it was a males-only sport.
MJAS, running the scheme with charity HAQ – Centre for Child Rights – took weeks convincing families and village heads to let them organise a ten-day football camp.
On the last day of training, in May 2016, the girls invited their parents to watch them play. Karuna said: “The parents were stunned. They were all very emotional and proud to see their girls playing football so well. The girls picked up the game quickly and showed great fitness. These families had never seen anything like it and it ignited something in them. It made them want something better for their girls.”
But many older members of the community took a lot longer to accept such change. One grandmother went to the ground and hit everyone with a stick. Karuna said: “She was adamant girls were not supposed to wear such clothes, play such games or laugh loudly.” The girls spend two hours a day after school practising football before going home to their duties.
They don’t even have the money for proper goalposts but it has not dampened their passion. Payal said: “Football has become my passion and it has taught me about my own confidence. I’m determined to do well, and I know I will.”
She has told her parents she will call the cops if they force her to join her husband.
Payal was made to attend her wedding and said: “They tried to force me to wear a dress but I refused. I wore jeans instead. The ceremony still went ahead.
“I don’t want to join my husband. I’ve not seen him since. My dream is football and I will fight for my dream.”
Coach Aarti Sharma said: “These girls were raw when I first met them. It took time and patience to train them. But now their enthusiasm is incredible. I am hopeful the sport will help them shape their future.”
Defender Kiran Gurjar, 11, was just a toddler when she was married to a boy from a different village.
Her mum has told her she will join her husband soon but said: “The idea scares me. It terrifies me every time I think about it. I love coming here. And I hate Sundays as there’s no football on Sundays. Football keeps me occupied and gives me little time to stress about my future."
Karuna, 42, said girls in Rajasthan are not supposed to dream of falling in love or marriage because the idea is arranged for them before they even hit puberty.
She said: “Some girls are married off as infants. They’re still playing with dolls when they’re made to take their marriage vows. It is shocking but true and it’s still very prevalent in communities here.”
Twin sisters Sanju and Manju Gurjar, 13, were both married at five along with their younger sister who was only 15-days-old at the time.
The twins dream of becoming a doctor and teacher but have been told they will simply have to be with their husbands.
Sanju said: “None of us want to join our husbands. We know our husbands’ names but we don’t know them. I think our parents were going to send us to our husbands over the next couple of years but now we’re playing football they don’t talk about it so much.
“If I can persuade them to delay the gauna (a ceremony linked to consummation) then, hopefully, in time, I can persuade them to annul the marriages also. If it doesn’t work, at least I can enjoy playing football until I am sent to my husband.”
Indira Pancholi, a consultant of HAQ, said: “It is such a joy to see girls shed their fears and wear shorts and run around a field with a ball and be like other children. But there is still a long way to go.”
One in three child brides in the world is from India, says Unicef. Child marriages in India are not legal but poor rural families see girls as a financial burden and prefer to hand over responsibility for them to a husband.
Is it estimated that 27 per cent of girls in India are married before they turn 18.
To be honest, women's Football is not a popular sport.
Even in mighty Spain, Women's Football is organised into semi-professional tournaments only. Some Spanish Women players barely get 500 Euro monthly stipend from club and they have to depend on jobs like Physical Education Teacher, Police in order to survive. There is hardly any sponsorship and zero TV viewership. Best bet for Indian Women players is National Team success in SAFF, Asian games participation and get a Government job.
India’s first female football coach has worked as a domestic help and at a petrol bunk!
She is not yet 30. But that has not stopped her from becoming the first female AFC A license coach in India. Anju Turambekar’s saga reflects the blood, sweat and toil invested over the years to get to her goal post. “In the highly competitive world of football, one needs to constantly push the boundaries of performance in an effort to stay on top. It took years of preparation, dedication, hard work and commitment to achieve the A-License degree. I am humbled to become the youngest women ‘A’ License coach in India. I feel it’s a huge responsibility and motivates me to take up new challenges,” says the lady with a gentle voice.
Her story is inspiring in many ways, and is also a practical lesson in always having a Plan B in life. “I developed my interest in the coaching field while I was nearing the end of my playing career,” admits the talented player who goes down memory lane, as she reconstructs her remarkable journey for us. “My first foreign trip to Netherlands in 2010 for the KNVB International Coaching course helped a lot to believe in myself. I had done my first ‘D’ license course in 2012 in Mumbai. After that I kept focusing on grasping and making myself better. After every course I realised that I am becoming more professional and knowledgeable,” she reveals.
All great success stories often have modest beginnings. Anju Turambekar is no exception. As clichéd as this may sound, she hails from a nondescript town Bekanal in Kolhapur. That is where her love affair with football began. “I have been always a curious child. I got into football only knowing there’s a game even a girl can play. Until I kicked the ball for the first time I didn’t even know how it’s played. I started playing with the boys in the nearby town by skipping school on an almost routine basis and was always the first one on the field. There were a lot of obstacles but I kept my focus on the game. Daily farm and house chores, tending to our herd of buffaloes while maintaining a balance between study and play was a big challenge,” narrates Anju.
Given these tough obstacles, most young girls would have probably surrendered to their circumstances. But Anju was clearly made of stronger metal. “I am an extremely optimistic person and I never give up on things. The kind of values I have learnt through my football journey, and from my early life while working in the farm have been crucial in moulding me into the person I am today. The connections I made between values and my daily life helped me to always push myself for better tomorrow. I was introduced to the farm even before I was enrolled in the school. Since a kid I have experienced first-hand hard work that a farmer has to put in. It’s a massive task, and it takes the entire year to yield any results. So despite the struggle, there was an education for me in that,” she adds.
And hardwork, like the climax of a happy Bollywood ending, always pays rich dividends. But before that, she had the onerous task of gaining acceptance from her family and friends who considered football as essentially a male game. “It was definitely the hot-button which eventually landed into the conversational circles of my family, village elders and school members. My mind was constantly racing and I had to constantly defend my actions to every other person. For girls to be wearing shorts, coming home at odd hours and playing sports which is generally accepted as a male behaviour is not something that people were able to readily accept. I found myself in tight situations on several occasions. It was unacceptable behaviour as far as my family was concerned. Some people from my village and nearby towns tried to influence my father. Apparently, they felt that he had to be more assertive and take control over my actions. I had also learnt to ride motorbikes which created all the more talking points since driving/riding vehicles were strictly meant for men. Eventually my father intervened and asked me to stop playing football and going to school and suggested that I rather get married after completing my 10th Standard exams,” says the feisty lady who holds a bachelor’s degree in physical education.
Ironically, her talent was finally recognised by her parents after Anju became the first girl from Kolhapur to lead the under 19 football team. “Within few months of my playing career, there was an opportunity to go for U-19 selection trials to Mumbai. My parents were unwilling but nevertheless I managed and eventually got selected to play for Maharashtra in U-19 nationals at Assam. The news made it to the sports pages of the local dailies in Kolhapur and got people talking. However, my parents were unconvinced about the prospect of football as a career option. Even after playing in several National Championships, and finally leading the Maharashtra team (became the first captain from Kolhapur), my parents asked me to stop playing football and join the police force. Finally, I ran away from home to pursue football as a career option. At first, it was difficult to digest but my parents were happy when I finished my studies and worked to support them. It took several years to win their faith and trust,” she confesses.
While it may seems like a natural progression for Anju to have made that transition from playing football to coaching, there is a tale of heartache behind this decision too. “After leaving home I was studying (graduation) and playing in Pune. I got selected for the India camp twice but unfortunately those camps never took place. I started working in Pune just for my pocket money. If that was impulsive the new struggle was even more terrifying. I struggled for the basic necessities of life — food, cloth, shelter. There were two options — either to go back and leave football, or discover a new path. I chose the latter and started working as a domestic helper and washing utensils. Life was tough but I was at least able to fund my education, food, clothing and shelter. To earn a bit more, I also started working in a nearby petrol pump. Later I went for senior national trials in Mumbai and the coach of Maharashtra team offered me a job of coaching in NGO (Magic Bus). I was very happy and after coming from nationals and immediately joined Magic Bus. Work was priority and was growing day by day. I wanted to earn money for my livelihood and slowly I stopped playing nationals but whenever possible continued to play for local level tournaments,” she confesses. In this post modern world, where shattering the glass ceiling is not as easy it appears, how difficult is it to coach the men’s team in comparison to the women’s team? “I have never looked at men/women’s football differently when it comes to my work. I have been doing a lot of coach/instructor education for Grassroots development and most of the time I train men coaches. I have also worked with the boys team in Mumbai previously. My priority is to deliver quality and be a better professional,” says the confident coach who believes in giving her 100 per cent, “in whatever I do and learn every day to make myself better. I want to take up higher challenges that not will only help me to grow but also help inspire others,” she adds.
Over 60 aspirants will be part of an 11-day football selection trials to be held at Armoury Ground in Bistupur from June 9 to 19.
Organised by Jharkhand Women's Fooball Association (JWFA), the trials is aimed at stitching a strong unit for the 36th Federation Cup Women's Football Championship scheduled at Hanumangarh, Rajasthan, from June 22 to 26.
The event is being held under the auspices of Women's Football Federation of India.
We are keen to form a strong team since Jharkhand is the reigning Federation Cup champions. We have some talented players who have the ability to help us retain the title," said JWFA secretary Ahmad Ansari.
According to him, the selection trials will be followed by a training camp.
"After the trails a final team will be selected who will take part in the training camp," said Ansari said, adding aspirants from Jamshedpur, Ranchi, Dhanbad, Bokaro and other districts were expected to take part at the trials.
Ansari, who has been guiding women footballers for over a decade now, added they would conduct the trials and training camp from 7am to 9am as evenings were blocked because of the ongoing JSA football league matches.
They are kicking; why should boys have all the fun?
Google Nasibpur, and you will not find much besides demographic data. Certainly not the fact that this village in Hooghly district's Singur block is ground for cultivating a passion most beautiful. Come evening and the huge playfield, a few minutes from the railway station, is taken over by girls coming in from adjoining villages.
This day there are 13, most of them school-going. Two have dropped out of school, while another two have completed college. Once they reach Nasibpur's N.D. Milan Samiti club, they slip into the changing room and emerge wearing a definite attitude - and football attire.
"Fighters, all," says coach Sonojit Malik. Manu da, as the girls call him, has been around for years, and knows each one like his own. "Most of them don't even get to eat proper meals. That girl there, the one in green... her father is an alcoholic. Each girl has issues to deal with."
The good thing, however, is that their parents don't discourage them from playing. " Baba-maa'r full support achhey," they are unanimous. "My jethasays mean things about me - but I don't pay heed," says the girl in yellow tee and shorts. "There are some in my para who snigger but that's a common thing," goes another. This girl is a graduate and says, " baritey boshe achhi" - idling away time. No, she is not - she is doing some serious service to herself and to other girls.
" Ami interview debo na; I will not give an interview," says someone rudely, and the others start giggling. I turn to face the speaker - a dark, lanky girl called Jayanti. Her hair is close-cropped, one side shorter than the other, and enhanced by a copper streak. She has completed Class X, is all she says. Later I learn that Jayanti's family is among the most needy; she has to slog it out in the fields to make ends meet.
For Kajal aka Bunty, football is " nesha" - addiction. Dedicated, says Manu, although her height, less than 5 feet, poses a problem when it comes to selection. "But I tell you, none can match her deftness." A defender, Bunty plays School Bengal, and may soon play Under-17. She plays with the boys, too, and gets better and better. "Only if she were a tad taller and better fed, there'd be no stopping her."
Once in a while, a lucky one is selected for a league match outside Bengal. Last month, Priyanka was in Shillong to play for Pondicherry. " Amra toiri kori - we train them, make them practise, and these clubs just pick and choose," rues Manu. It's not difficult to imagine how far the girls would have gone had the clubs played a role in grooming them.
My vantage point is next to the goal post. Squatting on the grass, I can see it all. The happening field, the far side bordered by thick bamboo clumps, and the noisy girls dribbling through red and yellow cones. There are other groups too, but smaller and scattered. Sometimes the toot of a passing train resonates like an elephant's trumpet. Then, out of nowhere, a ball rushes at me - the immediacy of the situation fixes me even more to the ground. Thankfully, Priyanka comes to the rescue. Her long legs guide the ball away, but I shall remember her as the one with the long eyelashes.
" Digbaji khaaaa!" screams Manu, ordering them do somersaults. For the next one hour or so, the girls shred the field to pieces, chasing the ball, heading it, chesting it, bending it. Until the dust and receding light make it difficult for me to take photos.
Game over, the girls head to the toilet enclosure. There's much laughter and chatter, but Jayanti's shrill voice rings out: " Okey jol dibi na, boshey boshey khali lecture! - Do not give her water, she only sits around and lectures!" What a bully!
Manu, however, isn't very upbeat. "If I stop coming to Nasibpur, it might be the end of their football." He himself plays league matches, for Calcutta, Midnapore, Burdwan and a few other. But this year it's only Serampore. "I earn a little by whitewashing walls, apart from the meagre money from football..." Manu, 29, has looked after his mother and elder brother's family ever since the brother died.
Nasibpur's girl footballers may not much care for the big event that will soon have the world glued to the screen. Some of them may not even have heard of Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar, or even Bhaichung or Chhetri. What they do know, however, is football makes them happy, and they want to keep the flame burning.
For these women, football has more kicks than marriage
Women footballers sweating it out on the field is a common sight in Aul block of Kendrapara district.
Women footballers sweating it out on the field is a common sight in Aul block of Kendrapara district. Besides jobs offered by various authorities for the players, the women are attracted by pleasure and spirit of the game.
For young girls of the block, marriage comes second in their agenda, next to football. Moved by their passion towards the sport, their parents are also in no hurry to get their daughters married. On the contrary, they want the girls to excel in the game. “All girls from Aul dream of wearing the India jersey”, said Susant Kumar Mallick, a coach. Mallick said earlier, several promising players quit the game in their early twenties after they got married.
“However, now the women footballers are determined to play for the country and State. Football is more important for them than marriage”, he said, adding most women players who have represented the State or country ended up getting Government jobs under sports quota. There have been several instances of some players spurning marriage proposals to pursue their dream, he claimed. Sinulata Sahoo (23) of Kantipur village under Aul block has participated in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Football Championship in 2014 at Vietnam and senior India women’s football cup. She says football is more important for her than marriage.
“I will not quit football even after marriage. I will only agree to marry if my husband and his family members allow me to continue playing the game that has given me a lot,” Sahoo said, adding she was recently selected as a police constable. “But football is my priority and I will keep seeking the help of authorities for continuing the game”, said the youngster.
But there are cases where dreams have ended abruptly. Kausalya Barik of Lokapada under Aul block had represented India in the under-19 AFC tournament in Vietnam and Jordan. But she hung up the boots after marriage two years back.
However, there are others who continue pursuing their dreams even after marriage. Alochana Senapati, who has represented the State and country, said, “I continue playing even two years after marriage. My in-laws and husband are supporting me,” she said. Around 30 women footballers from the block have managed to get Government jobs after representing the State and country in football. “A player’s job is to play and not sit in office or cook for the family. The authorities should understand a footballer’s priority is to win medals for the country and State and not spend time in offices”, feels Debendra Sharma, Aul legislator and former vice-president of State Women Football Association.
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Indian football team where all the players are child brides - and it's changing lives
The team with a difference includes players who were as young as five when they were chosen to be married, but through sport the girls are shedding off the pressures to meet tradition
Bonded by a love of the beautiful game, these girl footballers enjoy a kickabout like kids the world over.
But this is a team with a big difference – all the players are child brides.
Some were as young as five and still playing with dolls when they were married off by their elders.
When considered old enough, they will be sent to join their husbands to consummate their marriages and start a family.
But the sense of empowerment and independence the girls feel by playing football gives them another perspective.
They are shedding their fears and restrictive clothes to play the game, just like children all over the world.
More than 250 girls in Rajasthan, northern India, have taken football as part of two charities’ project to protect them.
Among the players is 13-year-old midfielder Payal Prajapat, who was married at seven but now wants a future standing on her own two feet.
She said: “When my parents saw me play football for the first time they were shocked. They couldn’t believe my talents. They could see I loved it. So they’ve agreed not to force me to join my husband for many years yet.
“I’ll keep working on them and eventually I will try to annul my marriage so that I can become a professional
football player.”
Payal, the team’s leader in Ajmer, had to persuade her parents to let her play sport when members of the charity MJAS, Mahila Jan Adhikar Samiti, came to their village.
Co-ordinator Karuna Philip said: “It has changed these girls’ lives. Some have just gained confidence, others have used the sport to fight child marriage and educate their parents on opportunities in life
“It gives us immense pride to see these girls in shorts and running around freely when they were forced to keep their faces covered under a scarf for so long.”
Karuna and her team first faced huge resistance when they visited villages suggesting a football academy for young girls.
They faced a stereotype that it was a males-only sport.
MJAS, running the scheme with charity HAQ – Centre for Child Rights – took weeks convincing families and village heads to let them organise a ten-day football camp.
On the last day of training, in May 2016, the girls invited their parents to watch them play. Karuna said: “The parents were stunned. They were all very emotional and proud to see their girls playing football so well. The girls picked up the game quickly and showed great fitness. These families had never seen anything like it and it ignited something in them. It made them want something better for their girls.”
But many older members of the community took a lot longer to accept such change. One grandmother went to the ground and hit everyone with a stick. Karuna said: “She was adamant girls were not supposed to wear such clothes, play such games or laugh loudly.” The girls spend two hours a day after school practising football before going home to their duties.
They don’t even have the money for proper goalposts but it has not dampened their passion. Payal said: “Football has become my passion and it has taught me about my own confidence. I’m determined to do well, and I know I will.”
She has told her parents she will call the cops if they force her to join her husband.
Payal was made to attend her wedding and said: “They tried to force me to wear a dress but I refused. I wore jeans instead. The ceremony still went ahead.
“I don’t want to join my husband. I’ve not seen him since. My dream is football and I will fight for my dream.”
Coach Aarti Sharma said: “These girls were raw when I first met them. It took time and patience to train them. But now their enthusiasm is incredible. I am hopeful the sport will help them shape their future.”
Defender Kiran Gurjar, 11, was just a toddler when she was married to a boy from a different village.
Her mum has told her she will join her husband soon but said: “The idea scares me. It terrifies me every time I think about it. I love coming here. And I hate Sundays as there’s no football on Sundays. Football keeps me occupied and gives me little time to stress about my future."
Karuna, 42, said girls in Rajasthan are not supposed to dream of falling in love or marriage because the idea is arranged for them before they even hit puberty.
She said: “Some girls are married off as infants. They’re still playing with dolls when they’re made to take their marriage vows. It is shocking but true and it’s still very prevalent in communities here.”
Twin sisters Sanju and Manju Gurjar, 13, were both married at five along with their younger sister who was only 15-days-old at the time.
The twins dream of becoming a doctor and teacher but have been told they will simply have to be with their husbands.
Sanju said: “None of us want to join our husbands. We know our husbands’ names but we don’t know them. I think our parents were going to send us to our husbands over the next couple of years but now we’re playing football they don’t talk about it so much.
“If I can persuade them to delay the gauna (a ceremony linked to consummation) then, hopefully, in time, I can persuade them to annul the marriages also. If it doesn’t work, at least I can enjoy playing football until I am sent to my husband.”
Indira Pancholi, a consultant of HAQ, said: “It is such a joy to see girls shed their fears and wear shorts and run around a field with a ball and be like other
children. But there is still a long way to go.”
One in three child brides in the world is from India, says Unicef. Child marriages in India are not legal but poor rural families see girls as a financial burden and prefer to hand over responsibility for them to a husband.
Is it estimated that 27 per cent of girls in India are married before they turn 18.
Bold and fierce, Dalima Chhibber is the voice Indian women’s football needs
Even in mighty Spain, Women's Football is organised into semi-professional tournaments only. Some Spanish Women players barely get 500 Euro monthly stipend from club and they have to depend on jobs like Physical Education Teacher, Police in order to survive. There is hardly any sponsorship and zero TV viewership.
Best bet for Indian Women players is National Team success in SAFF, Asian games participation and get a Government job.
http://magdalene.co/news-406-women-players-play-second-fiddle-in-soccer-giant-spain-.html
A ‘foot’ in the right direction
India’s first female football coach has worked as a domestic help and at a petrol bunk!
Her story is inspiring in many ways, and is also a practical lesson in always having a Plan B in life. “I developed my interest in the coaching field while I was nearing the end of my playing career,” admits the talented player who goes down memory lane, as she reconstructs her remarkable journey for us. “My first foreign trip to Netherlands in 2010 for the KNVB International Coaching course helped a lot to believe in myself. I had done my first ‘D’ license course in 2012 in Mumbai. After that I kept focusing on grasping and making myself better. After every course I realised that I am becoming more professional and knowledgeable,” she reveals.
All great success stories often have modest beginnings. Anju Turambekar is no exception. As clichéd as this may sound, she hails from a nondescript town Bekanal in Kolhapur. That is where her love affair with football began. “I have been always a curious child. I got into football only knowing there’s a game even a girl can play. Until I kicked the ball for the first time I didn’t even know how it’s played. I started playing with the boys in the nearby town by skipping school on an almost routine basis and was always the first one on the field. There were a lot of obstacles but I kept my focus on the game. Daily farm and house chores, tending to our herd of buffaloes while maintaining a balance between study and play was a big challenge,” narrates Anju.
Given these tough obstacles, most young girls would have probably surrendered to their circumstances. But Anju was clearly made of stronger metal. “I am an extremely optimistic person and I never give up on things. The kind of values I have learnt through my football journey, and from my early life while working in the farm have been crucial in moulding me into the person I am today. The connections I made between values and my daily life helped me to always push myself for better tomorrow. I was introduced to the farm even before I was enrolled in the school. Since a kid I have experienced first-hand hard work that a farmer has to put in. It’s a massive task, and it takes the entire year to yield any results. So despite the struggle, there was an education for me in that,” she adds.
And hardwork, like the climax of a happy Bollywood ending, always pays rich dividends. But before that, she had the onerous task of gaining acceptance from her family and friends who considered football as essentially a male game. “It was definitely the hot-button which eventually landed into the conversational circles of my family, village elders and school members. My mind was constantly racing and I had to constantly defend my actions to every other person. For girls to be wearing shorts, coming home at odd hours and playing sports which is generally accepted as a male behaviour is not something that people were able to readily accept. I found myself in tight situations on several occasions. It was unacceptable behaviour as far as my family was concerned. Some people from my village and nearby towns tried to influence my father. Apparently, they felt that he had to be more assertive and take control over my actions. I had also learnt to ride motorbikes which created all the more talking points since driving/riding vehicles were strictly meant for men. Eventually my father intervened and asked me to stop playing football and going to school and suggested that I rather get married after completing my 10th Standard exams,” says the feisty lady who holds a bachelor’s degree in physical education.
Ironically, her talent was finally recognised by her parents after Anju became the first girl from Kolhapur to lead the under 19 football team. “Within few months of my playing career, there was an opportunity to go for U-19 selection trials to Mumbai. My parents were unwilling but nevertheless I managed and eventually got selected to play for Maharashtra in U-19 nationals at Assam. The news made it to the sports pages of the local dailies in Kolhapur and got people talking. However, my parents were unconvinced about the prospect of football as a career option. Even after playing in several National Championships, and finally leading the Maharashtra team (became the first captain from Kolhapur), my parents asked me to stop playing football and join the police force. Finally, I ran away from home to pursue football as a career option. At first, it was difficult to digest but my parents were happy when I finished my studies and worked to support them. It took several years to win their faith and trust,” she confesses.
While it may seems like a natural progression for Anju to have made that transition from playing football to coaching, there is a tale of heartache behind this decision too. “After leaving home I was studying (graduation) and playing in Pune. I got selected for the India camp twice but unfortunately those camps never took place. I started working in Pune just for my pocket money. If that was impulsive the new struggle was even more terrifying. I struggled for the basic necessities of life — food, cloth, shelter. There were two options — either to go back and leave football, or discover a new path. I chose the latter and started working as a domestic helper and washing utensils. Life was tough but I was at least able to fund my education, food, clothing and shelter. To earn a bit more, I also started working in a nearby petrol pump. Later I went for senior national trials in Mumbai and the coach of Maharashtra team offered me a job of coaching in NGO (Magic Bus). I was very happy and after coming from nationals and immediately joined Magic Bus. Work was priority and was growing day by day. I wanted to earn money for my livelihood and slowly I stopped playing nationals but whenever possible continued to play for local level tournaments,” she confesses. In this post modern world, where shattering the glass ceiling is not as easy it appears, how difficult is it to coach the men’s team in comparison to the women’s team? “I have never looked at men/women’s football differently when it comes to my work. I have been doing a lot of coach/instructor education for Grassroots development and most of the time I train men coaches. I have also worked with the boys team in Mumbai previously. My priority is to deliver quality and be a better professional,” says the confident coach who believes in giving her 100 per cent, “in whatever I do and learn every day to make myself better. I want to take up higher challenges that not will only help me to grow but also help inspire others,” she adds.
She makes us so proud, this girl called Anju!
Football trials from June 9
Over 60 aspirants will be part of an 11-day football selection trials to be held at Armoury Ground in Bistupur from June 9 to 19.
Organised by Jharkhand Women's Fooball Association (JWFA), the trials is aimed at stitching a strong unit for the 36th Federation Cup Women's Football Championship scheduled at Hanumangarh, Rajasthan, from June 22 to 26.
The event is being held under the auspices of Women's Football Federation of India.
We are keen to form a strong team since Jharkhand is the reigning Federation Cup champions. We have some talented players who have the ability to help us retain the title," said JWFA secretary Ahmad Ansari.
According to him, the selection trials will be followed by a training camp.
"After the trails a final team will be selected who will take part in the training camp," said Ansari said, adding aspirants from Jamshedpur, Ranchi, Dhanbad, Bokaro and other districts were expected to take part at the trials.
Ansari, who has been guiding women footballers for over a decade now, added they would conduct the trials and training camp from 7am to 9am as evenings were blocked because of the ongoing JSA football league matches.
Park girls with balls
They are kicking; why should boys have all the fun?
Google Nasibpur, and you will not find much besides demographic data. Certainly not the fact that this village in Hooghly district's Singur block is ground for cultivating a passion most beautiful. Come evening and the huge playfield, a few minutes from the railway station, is taken over by girls coming in from adjoining villages.
This day there are 13, most of them school-going. Two have dropped out of school, while another two have completed college. Once they reach Nasibpur's N.D. Milan Samiti club, they slip into the changing room and emerge wearing a definite attitude - and football attire.
"Fighters, all," says coach Sonojit Malik. Manu da, as the girls call him, has been around for years, and knows each one like his own. "Most of them don't even get to eat proper meals. That girl there, the one in green... her father is an alcoholic. Each girl has issues to deal with."
The good thing, however, is that their parents don't discourage them from playing. " Baba-maa'r full support achhey," they are unanimous. "My jethasays mean things about me - but I don't pay heed," says the girl in yellow tee and shorts. "There are some in my para who snigger but that's a common thing," goes another. This girl is a graduate and says, " baritey boshe achhi" - idling away time. No, she is not - she is doing some serious service to herself and to other girls.
" Ami interview debo na; I will not give an interview," says someone rudely, and the others start giggling. I turn to face the speaker - a dark, lanky girl called Jayanti. Her hair is close-cropped, one side shorter than the other, and enhanced by a copper streak. She has completed Class X, is all she says. Later I learn that Jayanti's family is among the most needy; she has to slog it out in the fields to make ends meet.
For Kajal aka Bunty, football is " nesha" - addiction. Dedicated, says Manu, although her height, less than 5 feet, poses a problem when it comes to selection. "But I tell you, none can match her deftness." A defender, Bunty plays School Bengal, and may soon play Under-17. She plays with the boys, too, and gets better and better. "Only if she were a tad taller and better fed, there'd be no stopping her."
Once in a while, a lucky one is selected for a league match outside Bengal. Last month, Priyanka was in Shillong to play for Pondicherry. " Amra toiri kori - we train them, make them practise, and these clubs just pick and choose," rues Manu. It's not difficult to imagine how far the girls would have gone had the clubs played a role in grooming them.
My vantage point is next to the goal post. Squatting on the grass, I can see it all. The happening field, the far side bordered by thick bamboo clumps, and the noisy girls dribbling through red and yellow cones. There are other groups too, but smaller and scattered. Sometimes the toot of a passing train resonates like an elephant's trumpet. Then, out of nowhere, a ball rushes at me - the immediacy of the situation fixes me even more to the ground. Thankfully, Priyanka comes to the rescue. Her long legs guide the ball away, but I shall remember her as the one with the long eyelashes.
" Digbaji khaaaa!" screams Manu, ordering them do somersaults. For the next one hour or so, the girls shred the field to pieces, chasing the ball, heading it, chesting it, bending it. Until the dust and receding light make it difficult for me to take photos.
Game over, the girls head to the toilet enclosure. There's much laughter and chatter, but Jayanti's shrill voice rings out: " Okey jol dibi na, boshey boshey khali lecture! - Do not give her water, she only sits around and lectures!" What a bully!
Manu, however, isn't very upbeat. "If I stop coming to Nasibpur, it might be the end of their football." He himself plays league matches, for Calcutta, Midnapore, Burdwan and a few other. But this year it's only Serampore. "I earn a little by whitewashing walls, apart from the meagre money from football..." Manu, 29, has looked after his mother and elder brother's family ever since the brother died.
Nasibpur's girl footballers may not much care for the big event that will soon have the world glued to the screen. Some of them may not even have heard of Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar, or even Bhaichung or Chhetri. What they do know, however, is football makes them happy, and they want to keep the flame burning.
For these women, football has more kicks than marriage
Women footballers sweating it out on the field is a common sight in Aul block of Kendrapara district.
Women footballers sweating it out on the field is a common sight in Aul block of Kendrapara district. Besides jobs offered by various authorities for the players, the women are attracted by pleasure and spirit of the game.
For young girls of the block, marriage comes second in their agenda, next to football. Moved by their passion towards the sport, their parents are also in no hurry to get their daughters married. On the contrary, they want the girls to excel in the game. “All girls from Aul dream of wearing the India jersey”, said Susant Kumar Mallick, a coach. Mallick said earlier, several promising players quit the game in their early twenties after they got married.
“However, now the women footballers are determined to play for the country and State. Football is more important for them than marriage”, he said, adding most women players who have represented the State or country ended up getting Government jobs under sports quota. There have been several instances of some players spurning marriage proposals to pursue their dream, he claimed. Sinulata Sahoo (23) of Kantipur village under Aul block has participated in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Football Championship in 2014 at Vietnam and senior India women’s football cup. She says football is more important for her than marriage.
“I will not quit football even after marriage. I will only agree to marry if my husband and his family members allow me to continue playing the game that has given me a lot,” Sahoo said, adding she was recently selected as a police constable. “But football is my priority and I will keep seeking the help of authorities for continuing the game”, said the youngster.
But there are cases where dreams have ended abruptly. Kausalya Barik of Lokapada under Aul block had represented India in the under-19 AFC tournament in Vietnam and Jordan. But she hung up the boots after marriage two years back.
However, there are others who continue pursuing their dreams even after marriage. Alochana Senapati, who has represented the State and country, said, “I continue playing even two years after marriage. My in-laws and husband are supporting me,” she said. Around 30 women footballers from the block have managed to get Government jobs after representing the State and country in football. “A player’s job is to play and not sit in office or cook for the family. The authorities should understand a footballer’s priority is to win medals for the country and State and not spend time in offices”, feels Debendra Sharma, Aul legislator and former vice-president of State Women Football Association.