Women referees making a mark in football field

For the first time in its history, matches of the All India Administrator’s Football U-17 Challenge Cup are being supervised by women referees. The organisers of the 20th edition of the ongoing tournament has included two women referees in the panel, who are impacting their mark boldly in a male-dominated filed.

The duty demands attention, precision and high strength for controlling players on the field. Being a woman, both referees are not only matching the quality, but also the pace of the young male players to control the play.

Pushpa and Priya, both national-level footballers, currently coach budding players during evening hours at a private academy, and manage their office work during the day time. While Pushpa works at a Mohali-based school, Priya works in a private office. However, what makes them unique is their role as referee, as they carry huge responsibility of controlling the game, emotions and players for 90 minutes on the field.

“When I played football, there was no plan to undergo the referee’s course. However, one of the seniors guided me to go for it. I did the training, cleared the course and got certification for supervising matches. The duty is tough than playing, but I enjoy it a lot. Things are never easy, when one thinks out of the box. During our training, we were trained with boys….so all the strength comes from the young days. There are some moments, when controlling players’ emotions get tough, but this is what we do,” said Pushpa, who played for Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 22, under coach Bhupinder Singh Pinka.

Both officials cleared their referee’s test and course under the Chandigarh Football Association (CFA). “We sometimes perform the duty of assistant referees, and sometime as a referee. The perception of only males committed to this duty doesn’t exist now. Even in the premier league matches, we can see women putting their foot forward for the role,” Pushpa added. The eight-day tournament is scheduled to host 32 matches, including the semi-finals and final, at two different venues — Sector 42 and Sector 46 Sports Complex. Teams from different parts of the nation are participating in the championship. “It’s a welcome step of the organisers, and also an encouragement for women footballers. These days, a lot of budding players opt for referees’ course instead of taking coaching as profession. It’s a technical job, and needs equal attention as a player,” said a local official, seeking anonymity.

CFA continues winning spree

The hosts Chandigarh Football Academy (CFA) registered their second consecutive win of the 20th All India Administrator's Football U-17 Challenge Cup by defeating Kuljeet Football Academy, Amritsar, 7-1 at the Sector 42 Sports Complex today. In another high octane match, Punjab Sporting Academy, Amritsar, went down against AFTA, Odisha, 0-3. In the third match, Football School of Mumbai defeated Telangana Sports School 4-1. Playing at the Sector 46 Sports Complex, Himalayan FC, Kinnaur, faced 0-4 defeat against Dashmesh Football Academy, Anandpur Sahib.