Indian woman footballer Bala Devi hails recent changes in the national set-up
Indian women’s football team star attacker Bala Devi has lauded the recent changes in the national set-up and said they have helped the players in innumerable ways including regular game-time, fitness, and training. According to her, the IWL has had a significant impact on the women’s calendar.
Indian women’s football team star attacker Bala Devi has lauded the recent changes in the national set-up and said they have helped the players in innumerable ways including regular game-time, fitness, and training. The team is currently undergoing a camp before the back-to-back international friendlies against Vietnam are played on November 3 and 6.
“Since making my debut in 2005, I have been playing in the national team for more than a decade now. But there has been a string of recent changes, and all for good,” Bala Devi said to the PTI.
“We have seen some considerable changes in the dietary regime, training sessions, and most importantly video analysis off late. Laying out a proper diet plan, carbohydrate balance, protein intake, are aspects which are being taken being care of nowadays, and all of that helps players recover faster,” she addedÂ
She also highlighted the change in the fitness regime in the camp. According to her, the team now spends more time in the gym which helps reduce the risk of injuries and increases fitness immensely.
Bala listed all the tournaments the team has been a part of since the beginning of the year, which includes 20 international matches, Gold Cup, the SAFF Championship and the Olympic qualifiers. She added that all of the new changes in the national set-up would have fallen flat on its face had the senior women’s team not got the much-needed exposure, which gave them “the opportunity to gauge where we stand, and put all into effect”.
The Indian Women’s League (IWL) that kicked off in late 2016 has had a significant impact on the women’s calendar.
“Domestic competitions build the players. It significantly contributes to introducing more youngsters for the national team. The current average age of the national team now is much lower compared to what was five years ago.
“The Hero IWL has helped create a pool of players all over. IWL clubs select all the talented players, and everyone gets an opportunity to play. The youngsters get to challenge the seasoned campaigners, and gains in experience,” she concluded.
