CHENNAI: April is a busy month for sports fanatics in the country. A lot of tournaments are either going on or will start soon. The Commonwealth Games and the Indian Premier League are dominating headlines across India. In the midst of all this and away from the din, the second season of Indian women’s football league is taking place.
The talking point about the otherwise nondescript tournament is foreign players. The men’s version of the I-League sees them by scores every season, but women players from other countries have never plied their trade in the subcontinent so far. That has changed thanks to two Ugandan players roped in by Kerala’s Gokulam FC. Tamil Nadu’s Sethu FC too has one from Bangladesh.
These are no just random players. Fazila Ikwaput and Ritah Nabbosa of Gokulam have recently played for their national team. And Fazila is the Federation of Uganda Football Association’s reigning player of the year. Why would a player of such calibre come to India?
“I know the standard of the women’s league is not that good in India. I wanted to venture out of Uganda for more opportunities and the opportunity from Gokulam Kerala FC came in at the right time. I didn’t have second thoughts as I was very clear about what I wanted to do,” Fazila told Express.
“Back in Uganda, we have home leagues which have been my basis of growth in football and the leagues are really competitive. Last year, I was the MVP and was also awarded the Best Female Player in Uganda. I felt the time was right to get out of the country and test my skills against players from other countries.”
Hailing from east Mbale, Fazila has not been that affected by the civil war. The country is still conservative and women are generally not encouraged to take up football as a career. But Fazila was lucky. From parents to the federation, she had their support. And she feels the situation is slowly changing for women.
“I chose football because it’s a game of joy and I also got to make friends playing back home as well as at the international level. People around me including my family and friends valued my skills and by playing, I also entertained them. The game is liked by almost everybody back home,” she said.
Africans changed India’s footballing scene when they first came in. From physical attribute to skills, they were an instant hit. But no player of high standard has played here for long. Fazila is not sure about her future in India. “I am staying till the league gets over. After that I might go back to Uganda. If something comes up from Europe I will surely take it.”
Fazila may not play in India again, but the presence of players like her can be a new dawn for women’s football in the country.
vimalsankar@newindianexpress.com