Mixed feelings to AIFF’s mandatory women’s team policy

Over the last few years, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has been trying hard to give the women’s game in the country a fillip. From launching the Indian Women’s League in January 2017, a first attempt at having a professional league for the fairer sex, to successfully bidding to host the U-17 Women’s World Cup next February-March, it has been showing a lot of interest towards the development of the eve’s game.

To further buttress its commitment to the growth of women’s football, AIFF Secretary Kushal Das on Saturday made it mandatory for clubs across all levels to have a women’s team as part of licensing criteria. Although it’s welcoming to see AIFF play an active role in ensuring private clubs devote a part of their time and budget for the upliftment of women’s football, some feel enforcing such a strong condition won’t help the cause.

“It’s a wonderful initiative by the AIFF but the national body can’t act as an enforcer here. They need to be an enabler,” said Kickstart FC founder and chairman Shekar Rajan, who has been investing a lot at the grassroots level. “By just enforcing it on the clubs, it sends out a wrong message. I believe in women empowerment and we at Kickstart FC have been constantly sending girls to Holland for courses.

“Look at what AIFF has done to the I-League, their own child, in favour of the privately run Indian Super League. So when they can give a step-motherly treatment to their own product, what guarantee will they give clubs for investing in women’s football. Don’t get me wrong, we support and in fact are supporting women’s football enormously despite our limited budgets.”

VC Praveen, CEO of Gokulam Kerala, the reigning IWL champions, too echoed Rajan’s thoughts. “Having a women’s team is good because it gives more opportunities for women players but whether it will boost the overall quality of the women’s game is doubtful. Take the IWL as an example. Out of the 12 teams, about 3-4 of them are good and the remaining are just ordinary. What AIFF needs to do is ensure that the quality of women’s football is improved and not quantity. Quantity doesn’t mean much if you wish to compete even at the continental level.”

Better marketing

Praveen felt better marketing of the league is what should be high on AIFF’s agenda. “Better marketing of the league would mean increased revenue for the clubs. Currently, clubs investing in I-League itself earn a pittance, let alone having a women’s team.

“So if clubs can generate some revenue, then they can rope in foreign players, like how the men’s teams do, and that would improve the level of the game. Currently, most women players come from North East, Bengaluru and Kerala. And teams from other states too field players from this region. Sports is all about marketing and AIFF needs to get that right.”

Chaoba Devi Langam, former assistant coach of the national women’s team, however, felt apprehensions will always exist but at least a start has been made. “Earlier a lot of girls from Manipur would choose football but the lack of opportunities saw them take up individual sports like boxing, taekwondo and even hockey. But since the start of IWL, the interest is back. Slowly they are switching focus back to football and I feel this new initiative presents a lot of opportunities for the girls. If football can guarantee job opportunities then participation and interest will be there.”

Rajan also sees a spark being lit. “After seeing IWL at the Bangalore Football Stadium this year, we’ve been getting a lot of enquires from the middle and upper middle class families. But our goal is to give the underprivileged kids a chance. So a start has been made. AIFF needs to kick on from here.”