Kolkata , January 01 : Arguably the best Indian woman footballer in recent time , Oinam Bembem Devi has decided to hang her boots . The 35 years old who made her debut in 1995 has scored 11 goals from 18 matches.
Bembem Devi reached a new height when she was signed by Maldivian club New Radiant SC in 2014. She helped them winning the Maldivian League. She scored six goals in the tournament and became the player of the tournament.
Bembem devi is the highest capped player in Indian womens football.“Today is the last day of 2015, I hereby officially announce my retirement from football. I have been lucky enough to have had a wonderful career representing my country for 20 years and the state team for 24 years. The upcoming AIFF 21st Senior womens National will be the last tournamentI would play for the state team. It’s been an incredible journey and I enjoyed every moment of playing,” She wrote in a facebook post.
The Manipuri footballer won the South Asian games title in 2010 and SAFF Championship in 2012. She was also honoured with the AIFF Woman Footballer of the Year twice in 2001 and 2013. In 2003 she was handed the captain’s armband of Indian National team. She was considered one of the mainstay of Indian womens football.