Bala Devi Joins Campaign Against COVID-19, Urges Fans To Stay Home

Ace footballer Ngangom Bala Devi, who has extended her stay with the team Rangers in Glasgow because of the travel restrictions, on Tuesday joined the Asian Football Confederation’s awareness campaign against COVID-19 pandemic. Talking about self precautions in the fight against the coronavirus threat, Bala Devi urged people to stay at home and practice social distancing.

Before Devi, fellow football player Bhaichung Bhutia and skipper of the national team Sunil Chhetri have also featured in AFC's campaign #BreakTheChain.

Key Takeaways:

• Bala Devi joined AFC's campaign #BreakTheChain to raise awareness in the fight against the spread of coronavirus.
• Currently, she is in Scotland despite women’s Premier League postponement due to the travel restrictions in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.
• Indian women’s national team player Bala Devi was the first to sign a contract with Scottish women’s Premier League club Rangers.
• Bala Devi has represented India since her International debut in 2005 and has recently grabbed Asian Footballer of the Year nominee.

#BreakTheChain Campaign

“The World Health Organization has stressed the importance of washing our hands regularly and to avoid close contact with people. We need to break the chain and it must be a team effort. Let’s work together and defeat this opponent,” Devi said in an AFC release.

Further commenting on the deadly coronavirus outbreak and how the entire world is in this together, she expressed, “The whole world is struggling with this pandemic and things will only get better – starting with us. We must do our part, follow the regulations and if advised by your Governments, please stay at home. We need to make these small sacrifices to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone close to us.”

The 30-year-old striker, who is often hailed as the Bhaichung Bhutia of Indian women’s football, signed a contract with Scottish Women’s Premier League Club Rangers late last year. Devi became the first Indian women’s footballer to play professionally for an international club. As India has barred incoming international flights from March 22 as a caution, Devi is in quarantine in Scotland with the team.

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‘I am training indoors’

“We haven’t been training for the last few days. We are confined to our homes and I am training indoors. I cannot fly back home as per government regulations, but I am okay here. The club is taking care of me,” she had earlier told IANS from Glasgow.

Devi showed excellent form when she emerged as the top player in the Indian Women’s League (IWL) last year with 26 goals for Manipur Police SC. She has also won the Senior Women’s National Football Championship with Manipur, scoring 21 goals in five matches to be the top scorer.

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Devi was a captain of India’s gold-medal winning team at the South Asian Games last year. She scored 16 goals in five matches. She is also the top scorer for the Indian national women’s team right now.

Feature Image Credit: Zee News

Read More Stories By Ria Das