Kuntala Ghosh Dastider, the former India international, coach, and one of the pioneers of Bengal’s women's football, feels that the state women’s football league, named the Kanyasree Cup, is a fabulous effort initiated by the IFA in developing and promoting women’s football in Bengal.
Ahead of the championship this season, starting from the end of this month, the 63-year-old coach explained, “State football league used to place earlier. But under the leadership of former IFA secretary Joydeep Mukherjee, the tournament was revived in such a systematic way that it has made the ultimate enhancement of women’s football in Bengal. A maximum of 50 girls were seen when we started playing. Today, look at the scenario. The number has not only increased to thousands of girls, coming forward to make football as their profession. More significantly, not the numbers only, we are getting quality footballers.”
Kuntala added, “It has been the effort initiated by IFA to explore and nurture young girls across the districts, which has been the supply line of quality girl footballers for the mainstream. If you go through the Second Division of Kanyasree Cup you will most of the promising girls are coming from districts and interestingly, employment is also being generated. I feel pride for the state government, which has come forward with financial support for the state women’s league.”
While commenting on Bengal women’s team’s performance in the national championships, Kuntala who once worked as the chief national and state women’s coach, claimed, “I watched Bengal’s women’s team in the nationals recently and I was impressed by the girls’ performance. They have improved a lot. Earlier, doubts were there whether the girls would qualify for the quarterfinal or the semi-final stage in a tournament. But nowadays, they have been ensuring berths in the final in most of the recently-concluded national-level competitions.”
Dastider now wants Mohun Bagan to be back in the state league with their women’s team. “East Bengal has already glorified the Kanyasree Cup and I must mention IFA president Ajit Banerjee’s contribution to building up East Bengal’s women’s football team. If Mohun Bagan joins again, then the craze over Kanyasree Cup will become huge,” said Kuntala.
Mohun Bagan participated in the state women’s league and won the title in 2002.
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