KOCHI: Entering professional football has been Gokulam FC player Athulya K V’s passion since she was in school. Having represented Gokulam FC (Malabarians) for the past three years, she showcased a stellar performance playing at wing back position to earn her team it’s first ever Indian Women’s League title in February.
According to her, the team’s recent success can be credited to the addition of quality national-level talents and the presence of experienced players within the squad. “Some of them currently play for the national women’s team and are from different parts of the country like Maharashtra, Goa, New Delhi and Manipur,” said the 24-year-old.
Hailing from Kozhikode, she is also one of the four Malayali players currently playing for the Manipuri-dominated team. Although Athulya has been playing with the Kerala women’s team for many years now, she is yet to win a silver with them, something she has already achieved with Gokulam.
“The state still has a long way to go if it hopes to win any major trophies in women’s football. Presently, team training sessions are not conducted on a regular basis and only 10-day preparation camps are held before the nationals, which is not sufficient to prepare the players for the tournament,” she says. An example that she pointed out to explain her argument was the performance of the Kerala women’s team during the 2015 National Games.
“The team had managed to reach the semi-final of the national tournament after a gap of several years. This was made possible by a two-month preparation camp that was held prior to the competition,” she said. Presently pursuing her education in banking, financial services and insurance at Carmel College (Chalakudy), Athulya also plays for the Calicut University women’s football team and her college team.The Calicut university team had reached the quarter final of the Khelo India University Games held in Odisha recently.
Athulya developed an interest in football after seeing her classmates play the sport on their school ground. “I loved participating in all sports, especially kho-kho and football,” she says. Fousiya M, Amrita Aravind and Reginold Varghese are the coaches Athulya credits for her success as a player. Currently, due to the lockdown, Athulya and her Gokulam FC teammates are doing strengthening exercises indoors to maintain their physical fitness during the period.
Further, in order to give a boost to women’s football and to find prospective talents in the field, Gokulam FC will also be opening a football academy in Kozhikode by this year. “This is the first time a Kerala-based club is starting its own women’s football academy. The players will also be given training on a daily basis once it’s launched”, said a Gokulam FC official.