Ngangom Bala Devi: The one who broke all barriers to take Indian women’s football abroad

When the men in the small town of Irengbam saw Nitesh Tiwari’s Dangal in 2016, they would have had a wry smile on their faces as two of the young central characters Gita and Babita wrestled it out against boys on their journey to become professional wrestlers. Not so long ago, Irengbam witnessed a similar spectacle as young girls went toe-to-toe against boys on the football field. Like in Dangal, it was a young girl named Ngangom Bala Devi who went against social stigmas to change the way football would be played from then onwards.

Irengbam is a little-known town just 2 kilometers away from Oinam, a town known for producing the ‘Durga of Indian Football’ – Oinam Bembem Devi. Bembem was already making headlines when a young Bala who idolised Bembem took to the football field along with her elder brother. Soon, other girls followed and a while later, Irengbam got its first women’s football team.

Bala’s talent was too good to be restricted within the confines of Irengbam. Aged just 12, she broke into the Manipur U-19 team that took part in the Women’s U-19 Championship in Assam in 2002. She was declared best player in the tournament – a feat she repeated in 2003. She also earned multiple top-scorer awards at the U-17 level. Aged 24, she broke into Manipur’s Senior Women’s team where she scored a brace against Odisha in Manipur’s 3-1 victory in the final, where she played alongside Bembem Devi.

During the 2014 SAFF Championship, Devi scored sixteen goals in only five matches and was adjudged Women’s Player of  the Year by the AIFF. She repeated the same feat again in 2015. In 2016, she led the Indian Women’s national team to yet another SAFF title, her first, as captain.

She made a habit of excelling in uncharted territories and her exploits were soon recognized by clubs outside India. In January 2020, she as signed by Scottish club Rangers FC on an 18-month contract. The move was facilitated by Bengaluru FC who had a partnership with Rangers FC. The feat made her the first woman footballer in India to have a professional contract with an overseas club. On December 6, 2020, she became the first Indian woman to score in a professional football league in Europe when she found the back of the net in the Rangers’ 9-0 thrashing of Motherwell LFC. She was AFC International Player of the week in December, beating the likes of Tottenham’s Son-Heung Min, Zenet’s Sardar Azmoun and Chelsea’s Sam Kerr. On May 16, this year, she scored her second goal for Rangers – a scorcher from 30-yards after she came in as a substitute against Spartans FC. Her contract ends on June 6 when the Scottish League concludes, and she is hoping her exploits will earn her a contract extension.

Whether she is granted an extension or not with the Rangers, Bala has set the stage for others to follow. From taking the football field to go toe-to-toe with boys to making a mark on the International stage, Bala’s exploits give hope to all aspiring footballers in India