Bala Devi extends stay with Scottish club after COVID-19 restrictions stall return to India

Indian footballer N Bala Devi, the first to sign a contract with Scottish women's Premier League club Rangers, has been forced to extend her stay with the team in Glasgow owing to the travel restrictions forced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 30-year-old striker does not have professional commitments right now after the Premier League was postponed till April 30 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. But her return to India has also been stalled after the government on Thursday barred all incoming international flights from March 22 to 31 to tackle the deadly outbreak.

"There are no matches now as the league has been postponed and will start on April 30. But even if she wanted to go back home, the flights from UK to India have been stopped two days back," Bala Devi's agent Anuj Kichlu told PTI.

"So she can't go back home, she will remain training there, there is no other way out. We will see the situation. If the league re-starts on April 30, she can stay there and play.

"But if it does not start and is postponed again, we have to see what to do or if any flight is available at that time and decide accordingly," he added.

Devi was a captain of India's gold-medal winning team at the South Asian Games last year. She scored 16 goals in five matches.