PANAJI
Empowering women through football as an objective, Vedanta in alliance with Goa Football Association held a player draft to realise Vedanta Women's League in a city hotel on Monday.
The cream of female footballers' from the State split across six clubs - Flaming Oranje (Sporting Clube de Goa), Panjim Dolphins (Panjim Footballers), Cuncolim Warriors (Cuncolim Union), SCC Sows Football (St. Cruz Club, Cavelossim), Goa Velha Saints (Goa Velha SC) and Albert's Princesses (Albert Developers SC) will partake in the League to be held in a home-and-away basis under floodlights from November 18.
In his welcome address, Kishore Kumar, Vedanta Iron Ore CEO, Vedanta, applauded the women's performance at the international level across different sporting disciplines. Citing the recent example whereby the India women's team clinched the Asia Cup in hockey, he stated women are not lagging behind men at the international level.
"The enthusiasm for the League is evident with a response of around 140 (137 to be exact). If you take India's positioning in sport in the international arena, they are in the top 5 or 10 which evinces the visibility of the passion of women towards sport. While the Indian men's football team is ranked at 106, their women counterparts are ranked better at 56. With the support of the six clubs in the League, it will help women's football go a long way to play a part in the India team reach within the top 10 at the global level, he ambitiously stated.
"While currently there is only one Goan representative in the India women's team, Vedanta will provide their fulsome support for results thereby putting India on the global map of football and make the country proud of their achievements, he added on the vision of Vedanta and Sesa Football Academy..
Elvis Gomes, President, GFA stated that the day, November 6 is a red letter day for women's football in the State for two reasons. "On this day, in 1977, Goa for the first time won the women's Nationals with Vijaydevi Rane as the then Association President and some players who did us proud are here amidst us. 40 years on, we are doing something with women's empowerment. GFA believed and in believes that the enthusiasm of women to the sport in Goa is visible but have failed in the past to provide women to come forward. We did take an initiative in this direction in the past at the inter-collegiate level but could not go far. We are grateful that Vedanta has come forward to extend their support to this regard," Gomes said.
"The CM (Manohar Parrikar) I know has the best of intentions for football. But the infrastructure available has to be put in optimum use," he made an appeal to Parrikar. He also added to state that in time to come he not only expects Parrikar's support for women's football, but the ecosystem of State football
at large.
Parrikar, on his part emphasised that Indian football requires a lot of efforts to cross the threshold line. "There is a need to improve the techniques and training. But the only problem is stability. Every federation has two factions. There is a need to work for the development of sport without thinking of what one may gain from it," the CM maintained.
Juliana Gurjao e Colaco, former international and chief of GFA's women's football sub-committee appealed to village clubs to come in large numbers to support and encourage women's football. "It has been 40 years since we have had a victory, now with the support of the people and Vedanta, we want our budding female footballers seated behind in the audience to sit in front in the future as champions of India and Goa," stated the 1977 National Champion team member.
The evening witnessed seven members of the victorious Nationals-winning team of '77 which included vice-captain, Succorina Pereira, Juliana Gurjao e Colaco, Fatima Rodrigues, Ritinha Pereira, Perpetua Fernandes, Sylvia D'Souza and Filomena D'Souza being honoured with a memento at the hands of the State CM. On the sidelines, the Women's League logo was unveiled in the auspicious presence of the dignitaries present on the dais.
The launch of the League Anthem, ‘Mukhar Chol Chedva' (Go Forward Girl) by Varun Carvalho concluded the well-attended programme.
