29-Apr-2009 347
The popularity as well as the credibility of women’s football in Orissa is facing a crisis because of wrong doings by a few officials of the state body.
Creating media hype, politicising and commercialising the sport, ill-treating players and projecting officials as bigger than the sport are some of the unwanted things being done by these officials.
The role of Sahadev Rout, the secretary of Orissa State Women`s Football Association, which claims to the women`s wing of the much maligned Orissa Football Association, the apex governing body of the game in the state, proves the point.
Rout, a PET of Cuttack-based Stewart Science College and a football referee, is known as a leading promoter of women`s football in the state. But he is often criticised for his uncharitable comments on players and his habit of creating a media hype about the sport.
But Rout`s wrong doing has been exposed in the case of Orissa`s Karishma Oram becoming the captain of the Indian team for the AFC Under-14 Girls` Football Festival for South and Central Asia to be held at Colombo (Sri Lanka) from April 30 to May 5.
He first announced that Karishma had been made one of the two captains of the Indian team. When asked about the source of the news, Rout said a letter in this connection had been received by the state association. But he failed to produce the letter for verification.
Rout was proved wrong when the-aiff.com, the official website of All India Football Federation revealed Oram’s position in the 23-member team as vice-captain.
Exposed, Rout took the plea that the coach of the team had informed him about Oram’s appointment as captain. But he could not name the coach or provide his contact number for confirmation.
The website disclosed that Uttarakhand’s Raksha Pawar had been named captain of the team, which left for Colombo tonight.
Besides India, Bhutan,IR Iran, Jordan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka are the other countries participating in this Festival of Football.
India u-14 girls team:
Goalkeepers: Elangbam Panthoi Chanu (Manipur), Subramanian Radha (Pondicherry).
Defenders: Takhellambam Ranjita Devi, Dangmei Grace, Wangkhem Linthoingambi Devi (all Manipur), Varalakshmi Mani (Pondicherry), Mamali Das, Kausalya Barik (Orissa), Raksha Pawar (Uttarakhand).
Mid-fielders: Kshetrimayum Margaret Devi, Ningthoujam Roni Devi, Thingbaijam Purnima Devi (all Manipur): Nikita Roseann Pinto, Preeti Shindhe (both Goa): Karishma Oram, Subhaprava Rout (both Orissa).
Forwards: Pukhrambam Oshin Chanu, Lhingneikim Kipgen (both Manipur), Mythili Periyasamy (Tamilnadu), Nikhila Thumbayil (Kerala), Tanvi Bhargava (Chandigarh), Natasha Sanjay Merchant (Maharashtra), Prerna Praveen (Bihar).
Officials: Anita Sarkar (Coach), Rajkumari Amausana Devi (Coach) and Kruti Marolia.