AIFF Media Team

NEW DELHI: In an interview to www.the-aiff.com while participating in the AFC Asian Cup in Palestine last year, women’s football icon Oinam Bembem Devi – quizzed about the gargantuan number of women footballers coming out from her state in Manipur – had reasoned that the ‘Grassroots Programme for Women is very strong in my state.’

A year on and her words have found copious amount of resonance in every pocket of the Northeastern state, this time testimony being the Grassroots Soccer Development Programme for School Girls in Andro, a town in Imphal.

Organised by Andro Mahila Mandal Association (AMMA), the two-day festival drew hordes of support from the aspiring Bembem and Bala Devis across the ‘Jewelled Land’.

Perhaps taking inspiration from their most famous daughter who is currently set to shepherd the National Team in their second Asian Games campaign in Incheon, parents of children aged 10 to 16 encouraged their budding off springs to strut their stuff in this festival.

Around 100 kids turned up for the novel programme. And why not? Andro has produced as many as seven National Team players across different age groups over the years.

At present, the Asian Games bound India Women’s Senior National Team has 12 Manipuri players including the likes of goal machine Bala.

Inspired by the success of the programme, All Manipur Football Association (AMFA) is also set to launch a similar initiative.