[ Bengia Ajum ]
ITANAGAR, 24 Apr: Giving a huge fillip to the women’s football scene in the state, two players from Arunachal Pradesh – Giani Ramching Mara and Jumbalu Tayang – were signed by the iconic Kolkata (WB)-based football club, East Bengal FC, on Monday.
They will be part of the club’s women’s team in the upcoming Indian Women’s League, which starts on Wednesday.
Mara, who plays in midfield, hails from Upper Subansiri district, while Tayang, who is a goalkeeper, belongs to Lohit district.
Before being signed by the football giant, the two had been an integral part of the state’s junior as well as senior women’s football teams for the last four years. They were part of the Arunachal junior girl’s football team that won the silver medal in the 2nd Northeast Olympic Games held in Shillong (Meghalya) in November 2022.
The duo was also an integral part of the team which won the bronze medal in the 1st Khelo India Youth Games held in Madhya Pradesh earlier this year.
In January this year, 18-year-old Gyamar Nikum became the first player from the state to sign for the Indian Super League. Nikum signed a four-year contract with Mumbai City Football Club, and since then has become a major player for the ISL team.
Meanwhile, Arunachal Pradesh Football Association (APFA) secretary Kipa Ajay expressed joy over the signing of the two players by East Bengal FC. “This is a historic moment. Slowly but surely, our girls and boys are making the state proud by signing for the top football clubs of the country. We are very proud of Giani Ramching Mara and Jumbalu Tayang,” said Ajay.
He added that the APFA, with assistance from the All India Football Federation, is striving hard to improve the standard of football in the state.
The sixth edition of the women’s top-flight league, known as Indian Women’s League, will feature 16 teams, and the competition will last a little over a month.
The 16 participating teams have been divided into two groups of eight teams, with each playing the others once for a total of seven group stages.
The top four teams from each group will progress to the knockout stages, featuring the quarterfinals, the semifinals and the final.
