ITANAGAR, 25 Jan: The ASMITA Khelo India league forayed into new horizons this season as the football tournaments reached the remotest locations of Arunachal Pradesh.
Three football tournaments were organised in Ziro in Lower Subansiri district, Shi-Yomi and Naharlagun from 15 January, and around 500 women participants from these regions played in the league, according to a SAI release.
Monigong, a small village on the Indo-China border in Shi-Yomi district, was also an avid participant in the league, with women across various age groups (U-13, U-15 and U-17) exhibiting extreme enthusiasm.
“70 percent of these young girls played a football league for the first time. They had never seen such competition structure of a football league, and they’ve only practised for 10 days to play the league, and they played so well,” Major Ankiit Sharma of the 9th Grenadier stationed at Monigong said during the prize distribution ceremony in Shi-Yomi.
The flagship Khelo India Women’s league, Achieving Sports Milestone by Inspiring Women Through Action League (ASMITA), is the central government’s initiative for sports development at the grassroots level by reinforcing inclusivity and equity in sports.
The ASMITA league has provided a major impetus to sports in the country, mobilising talent from even the most faraway areas.
“Sports are paramount for the youths here and a lot of fast-paced developments are providing the much-needed momentum, especially in the sport of football. ASMITA has provided a significant window and platform for our girls to showcase their mettle and stand firmly on not only the national but also the international stage,” Education Minister Pasang Dorjee Sona said.
The union ministry’s sports department sanctioned Rs 3.07 crores to the All India Football Federation in the 2024-25 season for seamless execution of the ASMITA football league. A total of 90 cities have hosted ASMITA football tournaments this season, with over 7,000 girls participating, the release said.
Speaking of the tournament in Shi-Yomi, Dawa Ruku, football coach at the government secondary school in Monigong, told SAI media: “The kids here have been provided a big opportunity and a big platform through the women’s league. With the area being a very remote one, there are problems of transportation here and our talented kids cannot go outside to play. Now they are getting to play a tournament in a ground near their home through ASMITA and it cannot be more memorable for them.”
A total prize money of Rs 72 lakhs is kept for the winning teams of the ASMITA football league. However, the impact goes beyond the prize money.
“I am confident that with constant handholding, these kids are capable of rising to new heights, enabling them to play for the national women’s football team one day,” added Dawa Ruku.
“The league has not only brought football to a remote area but has also energised the local community with pride and hope for the future. Apart from transforming the space of sports, ASMITA has also been a platform to spread awareness about child marriage, which plagues the society here.
ASMITA League has reached more than 83,000 women athletes in almost all states and union territories of the country. To increase the participation of women in sports by organising leagues in various disciplines and to provide exposure to women athletes of different age groups across the country, the Sports Authority of India (SAI), in collaboration with more than 21 national sports federations, conducts the Khelo India ASMITA women’s leagues/tournaments for multiple age groups.
As part of its ‘Sports For Women’ mission, funding in part or whole for technical conduct and other incidental expenses is provided by Khelo India, SAI. The talent identification framework of ASMITA League allows these girls to be inducted into the Khelo India scheme as Khelo India athletes, which is a feeder for the national and international level competitions and schemes of the government of India, the release added.
