VISHVENDU JAIPURIAR
Hazaribag, Dec.6: “Football is a man’s game.” These were the statements Mausmi Baxla used to hear from the parents of other girls studying in different government schools of Simaria block in Chatra district in 2013.
However, in 2022, Mausmi Baxla under the banner of Lok Prerna Kendra has already trained 350 girls, out of which three are star footballers in Simaria, which is a leading producer of green vegetables.
Talking to this correspondent, Mausmi Baxla said girls are still not given equal opportunities as boys in Simaria. They are less likely to attend school, forced to stay indoors and do household chores. And then she decided to change the mindset of the people. Many obstacles came her way but slowly and steadily, Mausmi’s initiative made people realize that football is not only for men, it is a sport that should never be gender specific.
“Now there are two different batches for girls. First girls batch involves the 12 to 16 age group and the second is of above 16 but not more than 18 years”, Mausmi informed.
Baxla added she has hired women coaches who have undergone training in Haryana and Delhi. In this initiative, they are getting support from the Kriya Foundation of Delhi.
Priyanka Kumari, a student of Std 8 said the football camp has inbuilt confidence within themselves. Apart from training, they are also given tips regarding fitness, health and security. Another student of class 9 named Lakshmi said this training has made her confident enough to face the challenges of life.
Baxla said recently they have selected 40 girls for special training so that she can participate in bigger tournaments. We want the girls of Simaria to shine.
