From Maoists to footballers: The story of these players in Kolkata Women's football League

Add as a preferred source on Google

Kolkata, March 25: It is going to be a rare scenario. All the participants are women footballers. They will take part in the Kolkata women's premier football league, starting from March 30 in Kolkata.

All leagues special site

But who are they? There is one participating team named Sarojini Naidu Club. All the 19 footballers of this club had almost turned Maoists!

These women footballers live in Jangal Mahal, once famous for the Maoist and other terrorists activities.

These girls had to pick up rifles and pistols and take shelter in the dense forest in Jangal Mahal. They were financially almost non-existent.

They failed to manage meals for two sessions a day, in morning and night. Naturally, being lured by the lucrative financial offers, these girls chose to join Maoist groups.

But, another incessant fight was there alongside. Two football coaches of Bengal, passionate for the game Ratna Nandy and her husband Raghu Nandy were desperate to try and bring those girls back in normal life and football was the only way.

Ratna Nandy observed the talented tribal girls in an exhibition match four years ago. She then started conducting residential coaching camps with the help of her husband.

Today, Ratna has been able to form a team, spotting 19 tribal women footballers for the League. Ratna said: “At one point of time it seemed almost impossible. But along with my husband, I got a lot of help from the local administration as well as police also."

Then another team will be there in the League for the first time. They are Bhangar Welfare Association. Bhangar stole the limelight a couple of months ago due to political turmoil and the women footballers who will represent the club were also involved in the political battle.

During that time a few officials of this club had continuously tried to protect the girls who used to play football in the local ground.

One of those officials Amit Sur said: “We often advised those football playing girls not to leave the game totally.

"We used to inspire saying that football is the only mean which can bring those distracted women to normalcy. That happened finally."

OneIndia News