Former woman footballer Sona Chaudhary with her book "Game in Game"[/caption]Internet Desk: Former woman footballer Sona Chaudhary has sparked off a debate about her claims of leading Indian women’s football team. Sona has claimed she had played for the country from 1994 and 1998. The woman footballer from Haryana has suddenly burst into limelight with her new book “Game in Game” wherein she has made serious allegations against the sport's administrators. Chaudhary said female athletes were exploited by the team management, the coach, and the secretary. There was lack of coaching and corruption was rampant during the time she was playing.
Former Indian woman footballers could not recollect having played alongside anyone named Sona Chaudhary. According to Kuntala Ghosh Dastidar, captain of the Indian Women's World Cup team of 1981, “I am associated with Indian football since 1975. I also went on to become the assistant coach of the Indian women’s football team. But I have never come across someone called Sona Chaudhary.” She further added, “Mr Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, then AIFF president took an initiative to give the women’s football an affiliation under the aegis of AIFF.
Kuntala, who was also part of the Asian All Star team of 1982 added there used to be a parallel body for women’s football in India. According to Kuntala, “There used to be a parallel association for women’s football in India with the name Indian Women’s Football Association. I doubt if she has ever represented India.”
Kuntala’s contemporaries Shukla Dutta and Chouba Devi of Manipur also could not remember playing along with anyone named Sona Chaudhary.
According to Shukla Dutta, Indian woman’s captain of 1986 Asia Cup in Hong Kong, “I have not heard of any footballer with that name, neither did we come across any such names after that period.”
Sona, who claimed she played for India representing Haryana was dominated by states like Bengal in those times.
“Haryana used to concede 20 goals on an average against Bengal. If she represented Haryana during that time she is talking about, how can she lead the country?” Shukla raises serious doubts about her claim.
Another India woman footballer from Manipur Chouba Devi also raised doubts about Sona’s claim of playing for India.
In a recent interview, Chaudhary revealed that on foreign tours, the coach and secretary would ask that their beds be placed in the rooms of the female players and this would continue despite their protest.
She also said coaches refused to train her for a very bizarre reason. “Coaches refused because they fear being linked romantically to the player and spoiling their reputation in the society,” she said.
Speaking to PTI, she recalled how the women were treated back then.
"I have not accused any specific person or organisation, I have brought out the deficiencies in the system. How the women footballers were treated badly, how they were given accommodation during tournaments and during tours, what kind of diets they were given, how they fought the odds," said Chaudhary.
Alleging a rampant corruption in the entire system, Chaudhary said the athletes had to buy their own kits and pay for their own food while going to tournaments in other states. "The state association did not pay any money for food and sometimes we had to stay hungry due to lack of money," she said.
She, however, denied that the women players had to pretend that they had relationship among themselves as lesbians to escape sexual harassment from officials.
"It is a wrong statement I have not written that in my book. I had said that it was a game played within the game of football," she said.
Sources in All India Football Federation (AIFF) said that they are first finding out whether she played for India and if she didn't, the governing body will take strict action against her.
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