Bala is an inspiration to all women footballers: Praful Patel

All India Football Federation president Praful Patel has asked the country's women footballers to take inspiration from Bala Devi, who excelled at Scottish Premier League club Rangers.

The national team striker from Manipur is currently on a professional contract with Rangers, the first Indian woman footballer to do so.

During a virtual interaction with national team players across all age-groups, Patel told Bala Devi: "We are extremely proud of your achievements. You have shown the road ahead to the budding footballers, and have proved that our women footballers are in no way inferior to anyone.

"I am sure you will make others your colleagues, the U-17 women's team girls dream too."
"Those matches helped me immensely to get myself the current club contract."
"The standard of football in our team has improved drastically. Results have followed and it has made us more confident, and helped us mature into better players."
Striker Dangmei Grace added: "The more we got to play the more we improved. The strong International calendar helped us a lot. It was exciting, and we look forward for such matches."
Indian men's team central defender Sandesh Jhingan maintained that everyone should "do their best to stay fit."