Sudeep Pakrashi:

The company has been contributing to the empowerment of women silently for the last four years. They choose four to five villages across the region of Purulia and Asansol, the popular industrial town of West Bardhaman to fulfill the basic needs of those girls and their families who have been struggling with dire financial distress and as its reflection, plagued by malnutrition.

They have been provided education, food, and amenities to fulfill their extra-curricular activities like dancing, singing, etc. Simultaneously, among those girls, five were seen playing football.

Today, after four years, under the tutelage of that company, Aditya Group, the girls have started dreaming of building up their careers being professional footballers in the future. The number that was five four years ago, has now increased to more than 70!

The company has already been running a professional men’s football team and a residential football school as a part of its youth development program.

Now it has built up an able infrastructure at Kalla, Asansol to run a systematic training of 70 girls, aged mostly below 18 under three coaches (two men and one female).

The company has obviously an aim to take part in women’s competitions like the Kanyasree Cup, and then IWL, which can be a part of their future development program. Even plans are there to bring potential female footballers to the company’s hostel for advanced training facilities.

But more than that, Aditya Group wants to create opportunities for those girls where they can earn employment through football.

This effort will help the company to win a major battle as initially it was difficult to bring the girls from their impoverished families to play football.

Sudip Mukherjee, General Manager, Operations of the company revealed, “We had to face stiff social obstacles initially to bring the girls to play football. Still, in those backward villages, the parents force their daughters to get married at the age of only 12-13 years. Today, we are happy, watching more than 70 girls passionately playing the game. If we can create employment opportunities for them then the parents will also stop thinking of forcing them into the marriage.”

The girls’ team, named Bengal Tigress were recently in their jersey-unveiling program and significantly, they were highly inspired by the presence of the coach and footballers of the men’s team ASOS Rainbow. Debjit Ghosh, the coach ASOS Rainbow and footballers like CS Sabith had visited the girls’ raining program at Kalla.

Anirban Aditya, Chairman of Aditya Group said; “Having been around extremely powerful women in my life, I know for a fact that true growth cannot happen until both men and women are given equal opportunities; which is why I have decided to start a women’s football team and our association with the Bengal Tigress is the first step in that direction.”