Why only men footballers getting Arjuna: Bembem

New Delhi, January 29 

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Ignored for the Arjuna Award thrice, India’s most-capped woman footballer Oinam Bembem Devi feels her male counterparts have it better when it comes to Awards and recognition despite a lower FIFA ranking.

Former India captain Bembem, who retired from international football last year after playing for the country in 85 international matches over a period of two decades, applied for the Arjuna Award three times in a row from 2014 to 2016 but missed out each time.

Bembem, who made her international debut in 1995 as a 15-year-old, retired in February last year after guiding India to a gold medal in the South Asian Games in Shillong. “I applied for the Arjuna Award for three years since 2014 and I was snubbed each time. Only men footballers have got the Arjuna Award for so long; women footballers are not considered worthy of the award. I don’t know why. I feel women footballers should be treated at par with the men,” the 36-year-old said.

Last year, Subrata Paul, who has played for the country in 64 international matches as the goalkeeper from 2007 onwards, was chosen for the award. For the record, out of the 24 footballers who have been conferred with the Arjuna Award, 23 are men. Former India captain Shanti Mullick is the only woman to win the award (in 1983). In the last two decades, seven footballers have won the Arjuna Award and all of them are men. 

“We (women footballers) also win the SAFF Championships and the South Asian Games. We played in the Asian Games, and we are even higher than the men’s team in FIFA rankings but why do only men get the Arjuna Award?” rued Bembem, who has won two SAFF Championships and two South Asian Games titles.  — PTI