English
New Delhi, Nov 12: Indian women’s football legend and Padmashri recipient, Bembem Devi has lashed out at India’s top football league, IWL for not providing enough remuneration for country’s female footballers.
Devi, who represented India at the International level for more than two decades wants private companies to sponsor more and more tournaments at the national and state level so that aspiring female footballers can get more exposure and earnings.
“The stake-holders, especially private companies, should take more interest in women’s football so that women are encouraged and motivated to take the sport as a career just like the men,” said the 41-year-old Devi, who has captained the national team during her career spanning 21 years.
“Women players do not get good money while playing for a club in the IWL (Indian Women’s League). They (club owners) will always tell the players to take less amount of money, say Rs 50,000 or Rs 60,000. This amount is peanuts actually,” she said during a virtual press conference.
The IWL was started by All India Football Federation in 2016 as the annual top domestic club competition for women. It was not held last season due to COVID-19 pandemic. The AIFF is hoping to hold in March-April next year for the 2021-2022 season.
She also rued the lack of tournaments in the women’s game and asked the corporate sector to come forward to sponsor more competitions.
“We have only IWL and senior national championships. The private companies should spend more money to sponsor more tournaments at the national and state level so that the women players have more exposure and more earning avenues,” said Devi, who was the coach-cum-player of the 2017 IWL-winning Eastern Sporting Union of Manipur.
“This will be raise the level of football in the country and more girls will take up to the sport as a career.”
(With Inputs From PTI)
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