Oinam Bembem Devi: The Durga of Indian Football

Devi began her career as a footballer in 1988 when she began training at the United Pioneers Club in Imphal. In 1991, she was selected to represent the Manipur U-13 team in the sub-junior football tournament. Her performances in the tournament got noticed and she was signed up by Yawa Singjamei Leishangthem Leikai Club. Two years later, she was also signed by the Social Union Nascent (SUN) Club.

Oinam Bembem Devi who was born on April 4, 1980 in Imphal in Manipur is an Indian footballer. In 2017, she was honoured with the Arjuna Award by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. This young woman who indeed features among the incredible women of the north eastern region and the country has been nicknamed as the 'Durga of Indian Football'. She is currently involved in spreading awareness about Women's football in India. Oinam Bembem Devi has been instrumental in highlighting several pertinent and pressing issues that are deterring the growth of women's football in the north eastern states like the lack of optimal on ground training infrastructure, adequate training amenities, etc.

Oinam Bembem Devi has also received the prestigious Padma Shri Award in 2020.

Devi began her career as a footballer in 1988 when she began training at the United Pioneers Club in Imphal. In 1991, she was selected to represent the Manipur U-13 team in the sub-junior football tournament. Her performances in the tournament got noticed and she was signed up by Yawa Singjamei Leishangthem Leikai Club. Two years later, she was also signed by the Social Union Nascent (SUN) Club.

At the national level, Devi is a regular member of the Manipur State Football Team for woman since the year 1993. She has been appointed the Captain of her state team since the 32nd National Games held in Hyderabad, where she had led her state to victory.

Incidentally at the age of 15, Bembem made her international debut against Guam in the Asian Women's Championships.

The turning point in her career came at the 1996 Asian Games, where the Indian national team was drawn in a group alongside Japan and neighbours Nepal. They lost to Japan 1-0 and won against Nepal 1-0 to progress from the group with Japan. In round 2 they were drawn in a tough group alongside the national teams of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and North Korea. They lost all their matches but by then Oinam Bemben Devi had announced her arrival at the national stage. The young woman was duly noticed and acknowledged for her precision and acumen (as a footballer) by the international audiences.

Oinam Bembem has a plethora of achievements and honours to her credit. She was given the armband of the Indian contingent in the AFC qualifying competition, which was held in Thailand in 2003. She was the Captain of the Indian Team that emerged winners at the 11th South Asian Games held in Bangladesh, in 2010 and the 2012 SAFF Women's Championship held in Sri Lanka in the year 2012.

Devi was appointed as the Manager of Eastern Sporting Union in the 2017 Indian Women's League final rounds. She also became the first Manager in the Indian Women's League history to claim the tournament title also as a player. In 2018, she was assigned as the assistant coach for the India U17 Women's Team.

In the 2018–19 Indian Women's League season, she had managed the Manipur Police Sports Club.

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