Indian footballer Sangita Basfore speaks to SportsLumo on how her love for the game came about, her future goals and the AFC Asian Women's Cup.
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With the AFC Asian Women’s Cup set to be held in India in 2022, the spotlight has arguably never been brighter on the Indian women football team. India qualified for the tournament on account of being the hosts, but fans will be expectant of a fighting showing, if not more. But it’s not just fans who are keen for the Indian women’s football team to strut their stuff. The players themselves are also keen to put their best foot forward. Indeed, according to midfielder Sangita Basfore, the thought of playing in this prestigious tournament is what motivated the players through the uncertain period women’s football faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Indeed, while the men’s football domestic schedule was eventually played out behind closed doors in 2020, the women had no such luck. The women are back on the field now, but such a lengthy gap never makes things easy on athletes.
However, the women have risen to the challenge and, perhaps more importantly, are focusing on the bigger picture. An international tournament of this stature will, after all, do wonders for the game’s exposure in India.
And Basfore is keen to play a big part in the same.
“The COVID-19 pandemic was an issue for all of us, but we kept ourselves motivated to play. The AFC Asian Women’s Cup is a very big deal for all of us, and that helped us stay motivated too,” Basfore told SportsLumo in an exclusive interaction.
“We continued to work hard through the pandemic for this very reason. COVID-19 did not make things easy for us and we were relieved to be able to get out of it and start training.
“We are not wasting whatever time we are getting and we will keep putting in the work.”
It is little surprise that she is focused only on working hard. After all, from a young age she was put through the motions by a family member – who also happened to play the game professionally.
“In 2007, in my hometown of Kalyani in West Bengal, nationals events were held for women’s schools. At that time, I felt like I could play football and also have a career in it.
“My uncle Bijoy Basfore, who also played football professionally, asked me if I wanted to play and I said yes. This is when he would hold practice and training in his academy.
“I would sit and watch those sessions take place. That was how my journey in the game started out.”
She is now 25 and an experieced pro, having been capped for India 29 times. However, there was little doubt of her talent and she first got called up to the side aged 19.
Indeed, such has been her growth that she even captained the side once in a 2019 Turkish Women’s Cup match against Uzbekistan.
Everything came quicker than expected for the young girl from West Bengal. Indeed, such was her ascension she even got to play alongside one of her heroes – Bembem Devi.
“When I started playing in the national events in 2009, I was a huge fan of Bembem Devi. Everyone was a fan of hers, she was such a good player and I wanted to see her live.
“When I got the chance to play with her, that further showed me just how amazing she was. Her game definitely inspired me then and inspires me now too.”
Having been inspired by Bembem, Sangita Basfore is now keen to serve as an inspiration for girls keen to take up the sport in the future.
And Basfore, for her part, has little doubt that the AFC Asian Women’s Cup will eventually also inspire girls to one day play the sport.
“We’re all very excited to play in the AFC Asian Women’s Cup in India. It will definitely help to encourage more people to take up the sport. Even those who might struggle with family or other issues will be keen to get out there and start playing.
“Their families too will doubtless support them and help them make the country proud in the sport of football.”
For now, Sangita’s focus is solely on the tournament and making sure her preparations for it are spot on. Her talent is unquestionable, but she is not even entertaining the idea of moving abroad.
It is a path more Indians are beginning to take. The likes of Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Bala Devi and now even Sandesh Jhingan have moved to Europe to further their careers.
However, as things stand, Basfore is focused solely on the
“I have not yet given any thought to playing abroad just yet. Right now, the focus is solely on the Asian Women’s Cup. However, the hard work will not stop even after that,” she signed off.
