December is the follow-up month at TNM where we go back to headlines of the past for a status update. In this series, we strive to bring focus back to promises made by governments, revisit official investigations that should have been completed by now and exhume issues of public interest that lost steam over time.
It was a joyous moment for the Tamil Nadu’s women football team when they won the National Football Championship in 2018. The team played ferociously against the defending champion Manipur. To everyone’s surprise, the girls from the southern state beat Manipur 2-1 and won their maiden championship. The historic victory against Manipur was considered a watershed moment for football players and they expected the win to drastically improve their future. But that euphoria lasted only till the moment they landed in Chennai. Supermachan fan club members and a few others were there to welcome them, but no political party or local associations bothered. The then AIADMK government promised no rewards as in the case of men returning home with trophies. Soon they were forgotten.
So it was with great appreciation that they received the statement from the Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Siva V Meyyanathan in November 2021. He announced that the Tamil Nadu government would take steps to reward the TN football team Rs 25 lakh including Rs 1.38 lakh reward amount for each player. In a tweet thread, Meyyanathan mentioned, “SDAT (Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu) has spotted the Women Senior Nationals Team Talent and this particular team is in SDAT training camp at Namakkal at present. In 2018 senior Nationals Winners Trophy was secured by our Women's team...and that time they felt it was not recognised in a fitting manner. But, the present Government will make this team Glitter in Glory with Satisfaction and Happiness (sic).”
The SDAT has spotted the Women Senior Nationals Team Talent and this particular team is in SDAT training camp at Namakkal at present . In 2018 senior Nationals Winners Trophy was secured by our Women's team...and that time they (1/2) pic.twitter.com/2vngFTvA9E
— Siva.V.Meyyanathan (சிவ.வீ.மெய்யநாதன்) (@SMeyyanathan) November 21, 2021
One year after the announcement, the players have found no difference between the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) which ignored them and the DMK which made promises, but failed to fulfil them. The football team that won the national championship comprised players from the TN Police Department, Annamalai University and the University of Madras. TNM tracked down a few of the players to see how they have fared after their win.
In the span of four years, a few players moved out of the state for jobs that matched their educational qualifications. Some of them took up work as Physical Education teachers in private schools at meagre salaries to support their families. A few players lacking any sort of economic security chose to get married. For most, their dream of continuing to play football never materialised in the absence of support from any quarters.
Speaking to TNM, one of the footballers who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said she was training students in a private school. “I was studying when I played for the national level championship. When we won the trophy, I dreamed of achieving more as it gave us new hope. But we received no recognition from the government. Now I’m 24, but I still hope to excel in this sport if I get opportunities regularly,” she said. When asked about the cash reward that the Minister announced, she said she doesn’t want it anymore. “Instead of money, they can give us government jobs so that we feel some sort of financial and job security,” she added.
Ramya (27), another player from Erode, who is now working as a Physical Training (PT) teacher in a private school echoed her fellow player’s thoughts. “Right after the tournament, we were asked to apply for the jobs using the 3% sports quota. We applied and waited for the job interviews. But then the pandemic happened and we did not hear anything. Nothing has changed for us since we won that tournament,” she said. Ramya is now earning Rs 12,000 per month. She sustained a knee injury recently, and doctors have asked her to rest for a year. Ramya also voiced that she was not looking for monetary support, but a job from the government would go a long way in helping her.
Another player Renganayaki (26) told TNM that she has been unable to play football regularly unlike her college days. “Tournaments and matches were good when we were students. We spent all the cash rewards to develop our skills. But marriage changes us. We cannot always depend upon the tournaments as events are fewer. When we need to support the family, we have to stick with the job that provides us with at least a minimum salary,” she said. Renganayaki is also a PT teacher, working in a private school in the Dindigul district and earning Rs 10,000 a month. While she still loves to play football, all she can do is coach now as private institutions do not approve leave for attending tournaments.
The problems are almost the same for all the players, be it a state team or a national team. Speaking to TNM, one of the national level players from Tamil Nadu asked how she could continue playing football, when she could not pay for her mother’s surgery and had to depend on her family even to buy a pair of shoes. “I played South Asian games and Olympic qualifiers, and in several games, I won gold medals. But my passion couldn’t provide me with financial and job security. Now, nobody knows where I’m and what I’m doing and why am I stepping away from football,” she said.
She pointed out the contrasting fortunes of players from Tamil Nadu and those from Manipur or Odisha. She said these players were praised for their determination, but that was the case because they were employed in government jobs and had enough social and financial security. “They invest money for fitness, coaching, and other sports-related needs using the income they earn from tournaments,” she said. According to her, players from Tamil Nadu looking for jobs were asked to clear the exams first. “Women in sports are provided police jobs. When we go for the fitness test, they reject our applications saying we don’t have the required height,” she said. “When girls who like football look at us, they should feel proud about choosing this career by watching our growth. But the reality is quite the opposite” the footballer who took up a job as a teacher in Uttarakhand rued.
There are a total of six women from Tamil Nadu who play for the national team. Among them, only one player, Indumathi has been able to secure a job, and she works as a sub-inspector in the Tamil Nadu police department. “When a football player Priya died due to the botched up surgery in Chennai, her death was politicised and some parties using this to promote their tournament. But nobody cares about the football players who don't have basic infrastructure and supporting mechanisms to ensure they are playing continuously,” said Jenisha Rani, core member of Supermachans, the ChennaiyinFC's fan club. Jenisha frequently voices the issues faced by women football players on various social media platforms.
She said that cash rewards were given to the TN football team which secured joint third place in the 2019 Senior Nationals this September. “The Tamil Nadu women's football coach Gokila S was announced as the Best Coach for 2019-2020 under the CM's Award to Best Coaches in September. She too received a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh. But we don’t know why the 2018 team has been neglected so far,” she remarked. Chairman of the Tamil Nadu Football Association (TFA) Women’s Committee, Seeni Mohaideen, confirmed to TNM that all the required details and documents had indeed been sent to the government already. “We don't know why they are not giving cash rewards to the players who went for the 2018 tournament. There is nothing pending from our side,” he said.
"Even TN's men's football team couldn't achieve the height our women's team achieved in the year of 2018," recalled Muruhavendan, who was the head coach of the women's football team during 2018-2019. It was a historic victory, he said, but the players were not appreciated by the government. “Our women players have the talent and exposure. Our high-potential players win many matches and return home with trophies. But it is sad to watch many girls getting married and 'settle down' when they don't get proper recognition. We are hoping that 2018 players too will get the rewards that the government announced last year,” he said.
Karti P Chidambaram, Member of Parliament, Sivaganga Constituency also wrote a letter to Chief Minister MK Stalin, urging him to initiate the process of awarding recognition to the players who won the national championship trophy.
I have written to Thiru @mkstalin @CMOTamilNadu @SMeyyanathan
— Karti P Chidambaram (@KartiPC) December 1, 2022
urging the Govt to expedite the process of awarding recognition to the meritorious Tamil Nadu Women’s Football Team that won the Senior Championship in 2018. pic.twitter.com/eEnABTiWE3