Indian women footballers Bala Devi and Oinam Bembem promoted to inspector rank in Manipur Police

Seeing the recent success of Indian women footballer Ngangom Bala Devi in international football, her state Manipur's Chief Minister N. Biren Singh has promoted her to Inspector rank in the state police department. Besides Bala, the promotion has also been offered to Oinam Bembem Devi.

Ngangom Bala Devi won her first competitive goal for Rangers at the 85th minute in their 9-0 win against the Motherwell Rangers Women’s Football Club on Sunday.

Devi became the first-ever Indian woman footballer to score in a European professional league game.

The 30-year-old Devi is also the first Indian woman to play professional football for a European club. Before joining Rangers WFC, Bala has won three South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship trophies in 2010, 2014, and 2016.

She had also received the All India Football Federation (AIFF) Women’s Player of the Year Award in 2014 and 2015. Ngangom Bala Devi joined the Scottish Women’s Premier League club Rangers in January 2020 for an 18 month-long contract. Till now, Bala held the position of constable in state police department.

Nicknamed the 'Durga of Indian Football', Oinam Bembem Devi is India’s first woman footballer to win the highly prestigious award, the Padma Shri. Devi is also the second Indian woman footballer to win the Arjuna Award!

Currently involved in spreading awareness about women’s football in the country, Devi's success story is one of hard work and determination, striving against all odds, staying focused on the goal.