India's football inspiration: How Bala Devi's move to Rangers FC lights path that may lead to World Cup

Ironically, it’s her time spent playing in the US that she and Japan have to thank for that memorable triumph.

Her outrageous flicked finish from a corner in extra-time was the highlight of that iconic final as it took the clash to a penalty shootout which Japan won 3-1.

But while her side was outplayed by superior opposition over the course of the game, her technique, tireless running and physical play – attributes honed in America – kept them in the contest.

Her quality lifted the rest of the team and made them believe, that not only applies to the final but the several years leading up to it, gradually developing a team that would be world champions.

Sawa’s story is indicative of the benefits of Asian players travelling abroad to compete at the highest level and how it can impact their national teams.

That’s precisely why Indian football enthusiasts are intrigued by Bala Devi’s move to Rangers FC.

The 30-year-old striker has earned an 18-month contract following a trial with the Glasgow club whose women’s team has gone professional from this season onward.

“India need role models and that can only happen when such players play there,” Benguluru FC CEO Mandar Tamhane said.

The Indian Super League [ISL] club helped facilitate Devi’s move to Glasgow through their partnership with Rangers and Tamhane believes this could be a big step forward for women’s football in the country.

“Imagine Bala Devi being in the starting XI for a Champions League match in women’s football. That’s big. That’s big for the country, for people to follow her and other women footballers to want to take that step.”

Devi is well-versed with Sawa’s exploits and hopes she can play a similar role in inspiring young girls to take up football as a career.

“Homare Sawa is an icon of football in Asia. Japan is far ahead of India in football. I don’t think it’s going to be easy to compete with them in the near future but yes I do want to compete with some of the best players in the world,” Devi told Sport360.

“I want to set an example and prove that Indian players can be as good as anyone. If I can do well hopefully more girls will follow and take up this career route.”

FOLLOWING HER PASSION

There are those who are lucky enough to find the one thing they excel at, and then there are only a few afforded the means to pursue it.

Bala Devi falls in the second category and that’s something she does not take for granted.

A career in sport other than cricket is not popularly pursued in India and for girls, it’s even considered taboo in some regions.

Devi is conscious of the social stigma attached to women competing in sport but her story is one which chips away at the misconceptions of a patriarchal society.

She spent much of her childhood playing football with the boys in her neighbourhood, and beating them.

“I used to practice in my village with my friends and boys from the village and that is where I learnt to play,” Devi recalls.

“I didn’t think about how good I was or not. I just took it as a challenge to be able to compete with or play better than the boys from my village.”

Devi was fortunate to grow up in a football family which supported her dream. Her father played the game and encouraged not only his two sons but his twin daughters to play as well.

“My father was a player and my twin sister also played football as a child. We were always encouraged to play football.

“My family wanted me to do well in sports. Many families in India don’t give this kind of support to girls and I would plead with them to see the benefits of girls playing sports and help them achieve their dreams.”

Devi’s success in the sport is not only a product of her environment at home but also the area she grew up in.

She hails from Bishnupur’s Irengbam Mamang Leikai in the state of Manipur where girls are largely supported in their sporting endeavours.

“I did know people in other states [who weren’t allowed to play]. In my village we were made fun of for playing football with boys but we were never stopped from playing sports. In Manipur women are supported while playing sports.”

Thanks to that support, Devi was able to move on from the comfort of her neighbourhood ground and chase her dream.

“I played at my local village club ICSA (Irengbam Cultural and Sports Association). After that, I moved to NYTHC and represented them from the age of 12 in the local leagues before I joined Manipur Police Sports Club in 2010.”

Devi has a stunning international record having scored 52 goals in 58 appearances for India. She’s also been a star in the Indian Women’s League which began in 2016, finishing as top scorer twice, scoring a record seven hat-tricks along the way.

Among her inspirations, Devi counts Olympic boxer Mary Kom and former Indian footballer Oinam Bembem Devi, who also played for Manipur Police and roomed with her as a team-mate on international duty.

Bala has succeeded Bembem as the national team captain and having been named AIFF Women’s Player of the Year in 2015 and 2016, has assumed her place in the Indian football landscape.

There’s been a passing of the torch between the two women with Bala the shining light for the current crop of players; not too dissimilar to the way Sunil Chhetri took over from Bhaichung Bhutia as the leader and role model for men in Indian football about a decade ago.

MOVE TO GLASGOW

“I always dreamed of playing in Europe. Even when we play with foreign sides in the national team, we’ve lost but we’ve competed with them,” Devi says.

Bala Devi has always approached the prospect of playing in Europe with eagerness rather than hesitance.

Even when travelling across the world for her trials with Rangers in November last year, she was totally at ease on the football pitch.

“I was pretty confident during the trials [in Scotland] having represented India for 15 years and playing at state level for 17 years. I’d also played in European countries twice.”

Devi even stated that she never anticipated any major hurdles in terms of getting acclimatised with her new surroundings. Hailing from Manipur, she’s used to the cold weather and has never had any dietary issues.

However, while the move to Scotland has appeared to be simple and straightforward for the India international, the paperwork involved was anything but.

In order to attain the UK work permit, her representatives worked tirelessly with the Scottish club.

“Getting a work permit was very difficult and we have to thank Rangers FC for going all out and putting in an appeal for a special permit through the Scottish FA Panel,” Devi’s agent, Anuj Kichlu of the footballedge said.

“India’s national ranking is outside the mandatory top 40 for an automatic qualification but that’s why the panel is there for special cases and with the support from the references in India and all the efforts of the Rangers management and legal advisers we were able to secure the work permit.”

Does Devi’s success in this department open the door for other players as well?

“It means if she does well the Indian players should have a better case for future work permits but they will have to have outstanding international careers to be in consideration,” Kichlu clarified.

Devi has always expressed the desire to play abroad during her tenure with the national team. In the last couple of years, they played the COTIF Cup in Spain and after facing oppositions from La Liga and other countries, she was confident she could cope up at that level.

Kichlu appreciates the magnitude of the move he’s helped push through, yet insists that whether or not it has a big impact on women’s football in India is entirely up to Devi.

“To sign for a club like Rangers is massive. Many players from around UK and Europe are competing for spots in these clubs and to have an Indian woman there is big.

“Now the rest depends on her performance over the next two seasons. The better she does the bigger the impact on women’s football in India.”

OTHERS TO FOLLOW?

With a relationship forged and a precedent set with Bala Devi’s move from Manipur Police to Rangers, there is hope this paves the way for more Indian footballers to make the transition.

That’s certainly not out of the question but they would have to have an exceptional international record, like the one Devi boasts, or the national team has to significantly improve its ranking.

That’s far more viable for the women’s team than the men’s. That’s why we’re still a long way from seeing a player from the men’s side competing in a top flight in the UK.

“When we look at UK, the main struggle you have is the work permit. There have been male footballers in the past who were good enough and could’ve probably been a part of some clubs but were unable to do so because they didn’t get the work permit,” Tamhane explained.

“The laws and regulations for a footballer in the UK are very stringent. It makes it a complicated process for the players to get that work permit.”

That said, there’s plenty of scope in the women’s game and Tamhane is understandably confident of seeing the national team compete on the world’s stage before their male counterparts.

“We always believe and everyone in India does believe that the women’s Indian team will play a World Cup before the men’s.”

When that day does arrive, Bala Devi will hope to lead the Indian team out. For now though, she’s the one lighting the way.