Unknown to many, Oinam Bembem Devi is a woman Indian Professional footballer,
representing India for the past two decades. She finally gets her hand on the
prestigious Arjuna Award announced on 18th August, thus becoming
only the second Indian woman footballer to win the award after former National
team captain Shanti Mullick in 1983.
Bembem was nominated by the AIFF alongside
the stars like Jeje Lalpekhlua and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu for the coveted award,
consisting of a cash prize of INR 500,000, a bronze statue of Arjuna and a
scroll.
“This is an Award for Indian women’s
football. I hope this award will help remove the mental block and inspire all
girls in the society to take up the sport”, she quoted.
“It gives me immense satisfaction to see my
name in the same list as the greatest Indian sportsperson across all fields.
My sacrifice over the past two decades has not gone waste. I need to thank all
teammates, my coaches, AIFF and the entire football fraternity along with my
family for their support”, she added.
The Manipur-born star midfielder,
sobriqueted as the ‘Durga of Indian Football’, made her international debut in
1995 scoring 32 goals in 85 appearances. She was awarded the AIFF woman footballer
award twice, in 2001 and 2013. She retired on a high winning the SAF Games Gold
Medal in Shillong in 2015.
Women’s head coach Maymol Rocky expressed
her happiness over the phone, “No one deserves the Arjuna Award more than
Bembem. She has done so much for Indian Football both on and off the field. I
am very happy for her. Congratulations.”
She is the 25th football player to win the award, the last being
won by Subrata Paul won it in 2016. Devi has been making unparalleled
contribution to Women’s football in India since the past two decades. Though
her award was long-overdue, football fans all over the world can now rejoice
the honour the Indian Government has finally decided to grant her.
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