Oinam Bembem Devi (born 4 April 1980) is an Indian football coach and former footballer from Manipur.[2] In 2017, she was honoured with the Arjuna Award by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.[3] She was nicknamed the Durga of Indian Football and is currently involved in spreading awareness about Women's football in India.[4]
 The President, Ram Nath Kovind presenting the Arjuna Award to Bembem Devi, August 29, 2017. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Oinam Bembem Devi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 4 April 1980 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Imphal, Manipur, India | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manipur | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | New Radiant | 3 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Eastern Sporting Union | 9 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–2016 | India | 82 | (18) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2018 | Eastern Sporting Union | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | India Women U17 (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019– | Manipur Police | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021– | Manipur Women | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Oinam Bembem Devi is the recipient of India's highly prestigious award Padma Shri 2020.[5][6]
Early life and club career
editDevi began her career as a footballer in 1988 when she began training at the United Pioneers Club in Imphal.[1] In 1991, she was selected to represent the Manipur U-13 team in the sub-junior football tournament. Her performances in the tournament got noticed, and was signed up by Yawa Singjamei Leishangthem Lekai club, and two years later, by the Social Union Nascent (SUN) Club.[7]
At the national level, Devi is a regular member of the Manipur state football team for woman since the year 1993. She has been appointed the captain of her state team since the 32nd National Games held in Hyderabad, where she led her state to victory.[7]
On 9 June 2014, Maldivian football club New Radiant, announced the signing of Devi and another Indian youngster Lako Phuti Bhutia. Bembem Devi made her debut as a late 1st half substitute, in their match against Maldives police service on 11 June and her speed and skill were a constant threat to the opposition as Bembem provided two assists in her team's 4–0 win.[7]
In the match against defending champions Sun hotels and resorts, Bembem scored in both halves to help New Radiant WSC to a comfortable 4–0 win, securing them a spot in the semi-finals against Sun Hotels and Resorts. In the semi-finals, they defeated Sun hotels and resorts 5–1 and entered the final. The Final match was held on 21 June 2014 between New Radiant SC and Maldives National Defence Force. Bembem Devi scored in 9th and 26th minute of the match, to help New Radiant WSC achieve a historic 5–1 win over MNDF to win the league.[7]
Bembem Devi ended up as the top scorer of the tournament with 6 goals in just 3 matches. She also provided 4 assists and she was awarded the Player of The Tournament for her excellent performances.[7]
International career
editAt the age of 15, Bembem made her international debut against Guam in the Asian Women's Championships.
The turning point in her career came at the 1996 Asian Games, where the Indian national team were drawn in a group alongside Japan and neighbours Nepal. They lost to Japan 1-0 and won against Nepal 1-0 to progress from the group with Japan. In round 2 they would be drawn in a tough group alongside the national teams of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and North Korea. They lost all their matches but by then Oinam Bemben Devi had announced her arrival at the national stage.[7]
Before the 1997 AFC Cup in China, the Indian eve's team were sent to Germany for a month-long camp, where the national team players were trained by German coaches and played against German oppositions. The camp proved vital as the Indian team won 3-0 against Hong-Kong, Japan the top ranked team in women’ s football, defeated India 1-0 and in their final group game encounter India thrashed Guam 10-0.[7]
She was given the armband of the Indian contingent in the AFC qualifying competition, held in Thailand in 2003. She was the captain of the Indian team that emerged winners at the 11th South Asian Games held in Bangladesh, in 2010 and the 2012 SAFF Women's Championship held in Sri Lanka in the year 2012.[7]
She played her last game on 15 February against Nepal, at the 12th South Asian Games in Shillong.[8] She finished her international career with 82 caps.[9]
Career statistics
edit- As of 15 February 2016
| Appearances and Goals by year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Years | Caps | Goals |
| 1995–2007 | ||
| 2010 | 10 | 4 |
| 2011 | 6 | 1 |
| 2012 | 5 | 5 |
| 2013 | 3 | 0 |
| 2014 | 2 | 2 |
| 2015 | 2 | 0 |
| 2016 | 5 | 0 |
| Total | 33 | 12 |
As manager
editDevi was appointed as manager of Eastern Sporting Union in 2017 Indian Women's League final rounds. She also became the first manager of Indian Women's League history to claim the tournament title also as a player. In 2018, she was assigned as the assistant coach for the India U17 women's team.[10]
In the 2018–19 Indian Women's League season, she managed Manipur Police Sports Club.
Honours
edit
Player
editIndia
- South Asian Games Gold medal: 2010, 2016
- SAFF Women's Championship: 2010, 2012, 2014[11]
Eastern Sporting Union
Manipur
New Radiant WSC[12]
Manager
editEastern Sporting Union
Manipur
Individual
edit- FAM Premier League Player of the Tournament: 2014–15
- AIFF Women's Player of the Year (2): 2001, 2013[7][13]
- Arjuna Award: 2017[14][15]
Padma Shri: 2020
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Desai, Shail (29 October 2016). "Bembem Devi: Indian football's unsung legend". Livemint. Archived from the original on 5 March 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
- ^ Media Team, AIFF (15 August 2022). "Indian Football Down the Years: Looking back at the glorious moments". www.the-aiff.com. New Delhi: All India Football Federation. Archived from the original on 21 September 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
- ^ Joy Tirkey (22 August 2017). "I Dedicate My Arjuna Award To The Women Of India: Bembem Devi". Archived from the original on 19 August 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
- ^ "WOMEN'S FOOTBALL STAR OINAM BEMBEM DEVI WINS ARJUNA AWARD". 20 August 2017. Archived from the original on 30 August 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
- ^ "Padma Awards 2020 Announced". pib.gov.in. Archived from the original on 1 February 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
- ^ The Hindu Net Desk (26 January 2020). "Full list of 2020 Padma awardees". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 29 February 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Sarbajna, Boudhayan (26 June 2014). "Oinam Bembem Devi's & Lako Phuti Bhutia's Foreign Stint Signals A Bright Future For Indian Women Football". The Hard Tackle. Archived from the original on 16 April 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
- ^ "Football News, India Football News, Latest Football News Headlines | Today Football News | Catch News". Archived from the original on 8 November 2016. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
- ^ "Why India star Bala Devi may miss the first woman's football league". -Hindustan Times. 27 January 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
- ^ "The thrill of winning a match as a coach is immense– Bembem Devi". AIFF. 11 August 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "List of athletes recommended for Arjuna Awards". 3 August 2017. Archived from the original on 19 August 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
- ^ "NRSC wins Women's Football Championship" (in Divehi). Sun Online. 21 June 2014. Archived from the original on 24 June 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2014.
- ^ "2013 AIFF Awards given away to Footballers in New Delhi". IANS. news.biharprabha.com. Archived from the original on 20 October 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
- ^ "LIST OF ARJUNA AWARD WINNERS - Football | Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports". yas.nic.in. Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. Archived from the original on 25 December 2007. Retrieved 25 December 2007.
- ^ "List of Arjuna Awardees (1961–2018)" (PDF). Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (India). Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 July 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
Bibliography
edit- Kapadia, Novy (2017). Barefoot to Boots: The Many Lives of Indian Football. Penguin Random House. ISBN 978-0-143-42641-7.
- Dineo, Paul; Mills, James (2001). Soccer in South Asia: Empire, Nation, Diaspora. London, United Kingdom: Frank Cass Publishers. p. 33. ISBN 978-0-7146-8170-2. Archived from the original on 25 July 2022.
- Martinez, Dolores; Mukharji, Projit B (2009). Football: From England to the World: The Many Lives of Indian Football. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-138-88353-6. Archived from the original on 2 July 2022.
- "Royal Wahingdoh girls meet their role models". the-aiff.com. New Delhi: All India Football Federation. 11 February 2016. Archived from the original on 1 January 2024. Retrieved 28 November 2021.