SHILLONG: She has been representing the country for two decades now and has seen the India women’s team through its ups and downs, but Oinam Bembem Devi laments that although coveted tourneys are organised for the men, the females are left high and dry and virtually without any match practice throughout the year thanks to the absence of professional football events for them in the country.
It may be mentioned that male footballers are making a quick buck from events like the Indian Super League and even the I-League.
However, women footballers are not half as lucky when it comes to getting a chance to hone their skills at the club level.
“I have been pushing for I-League/ISL style tournaments for quite some time but nothing has materialized yet,” Bembem Devi said after a practice match at the Third Ground, Polo today.
According to sources, the AIFF was mulling to make it mandatory for I-League clubs to have at least one women’s football team, but the plan has been in cold storage for quite some time. Bembem Devi feels that unless girls get to play more, women’s football will not make a mark in this country.
