Now, girls set to go for goals

[1]

Involving eight school teams from as many districts, a state-level open football tournament for girls kicked off at the Kunhiraman Memorial Higher Secondary School Ground in Mevelloor on Sunday.

Many ridiculed the idea of hosting a girls’ tourney when even men playing the game hardly get any appreciation these days. However, the organisers were determined.

Jomon, physical education teacher of KMHSS, says the idea of hosting the first of its kind tourney was to force the state education department to include girls’ football in school games.

“The first game was played on Sunday. The crowd was not huge, but certainly more than that of any men’s tournament recently,” said Jomon.

Among the schools that are taking part, one is Nadakavu GHSS from Kozhikode, which won the state-level PYKKA football championship this year.

Their trainer Fauziya M. is all praise for the initiative.

“It was in the late 1980s the education department arranged an open selection and sent the team for open nationals. That stopped after a year for unknown reasons,” said Fauziya.

“Had it continued, we could have popularised girls’ football. So, when somebody conducts this tournament, I would be happy,” she said.

In the past, the state has produced a few talented girls, who even made it to the national team such as Nikila T, Ashly Y. M. and Sithara Harikumar.

If these girls made it to the nationals despite the lack of tournaments, won’t there be more girls in the waiting? How to find them? How else, other than by tournaments?

The participating teams are Kannur GHSS, Kalpetta GHS, Nadakavu HSS, Vallikunnu HSS, Thodupuzha HSS, Ayyankali Memorial Sports School, Kaladi HSS and KMHSS Mevelloor.

The organisers said minister Anoop Jacob who inaugurated the tournament, as also K.B. Ganesh Kumar and chief minister Oommen Chandy have agreed to consider including girls’ football in school games.

But, not waiting for them to act, nearly 100 girls from across the state are getting involved in the week-long tournament. Isn’t it something?