XtraTime Web Desk: The most prominent figures in Indian football have described her as “a living legend” and “a flagbearer” for the women’s game.
But there is a moniker that has stuck more closely to Oinam Bembem Devi: ‘Durga of Indian Football’. As Bembem Devi herself explains, there can be no higher praise. “Durga is a [Hindu] goddess celebrated all over India to rejoice in the triumph of good over evil,” she said, smiling, “so I didn’t know how to react to being given that name. That someone could be nicknamed ‘Durga’ for playing football was a huge inspiration, and an honour.”
The grandness of the title reflects the esteem in which Bembem Devi is held, and the influence she carries. A beloved former India captain, she began her international career at the tender age of just 15 and remained a standout until her retirement in 2016, inspiring the team to new heights along the way.
Her service was recognised by the national government with an Arjuna Award, for outstanding achievement in sport, and more recently when she became the first women’s footballer to be named a Padma Shri – India’s fourth-highest civilian honour. But like so many other pioneering female figures, her early steps in the beautiful game were fraught with difficulties.
There will certainly be no-one prouder when 11 Indian girls line up on the world stage for the first time this November. That is when the country will host the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, and Bembem Devi’s only regret is that she isn’t young enough to take the field herself.
“When I was a player, I couldn’t even dream that my country would host a World Cup like this,” she said. “The girls are so lucky – sometimes I get a bit jealous [laughs]! The confidence, the interest, the development, the inspiration will all come from this tournament. And then the sky is the limit.
“I can’t express in words how happy I was when I heard we would be hosting this tournament, and I need to praise the AIFF for bringing it to India. It shows how serious they are about developing women’s football.”