Iconic football player Oinem Bembem Devi calls for budget boost to sport

Iconic football player Oinem Bembem Devi says the government needs to pump in money into sport with a desperate call for funding more women. She cites that the major problem lies at the initial stages of learning a sport.

To dominate a sport, it is extremely necessary to start practicing from the young age. She says that practicing a sport or liking a sport mostly happens in school and that is where sports is most “disorganised.” It is also the time when managing both education and sports become a task and trying to excel in one makes one lag in another. And mostly it is because of education that sports gets sidelined in girls’ case.

To solve this problem, Bembem suggested that the government should come up with “a comprehensive sports programme at the school-level.” In her view, this will encourage girls to be as serious about sports as boys from a very young age. It will also unleash a stream of sports athletes in the country.

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Praising the current infrastructure, Bembem echoed that it has improved a lot in quality in the past couple of years. However, training centres are still inadequate for female football players in India. Talking specifically about the sport, she mentions that the women’s team needs to go for more competitions and matches. Their horizons need to be broadened by sending them for national and international events for more exposure.

Women in Sport in India

She especially referred to financial assistance from the government to All India Football Federation (AIFF). The 36-year-old player resonates the significance of a league in competing against the countries that have better facilities.

Bembem who remains at the top spot completed her last tournament with playing for South Asian Games. She had announced to retire at the end of the last year and now finally takes an exit from the game.

Picture Credit- Scoop Whoop