Table of Contents
Introduction
Gita Das is a prominent female footballer from Bengal. One of the key members of the Kolkata Women’s Football League-winning team East Bengal, Gita has already represented Bengal several times since 2010, scoring nearly 15 goals so far. She has represented the under-19 Indian team in the under-20 AFC Championship in 2013. Following an impressive performance in the national championship, Gita was selected in the under-16 Indian final squad for the first time. However, she missed the flight as the passport did not reach in time.
The Beginning
Gita Das began playing football at her locality and used to play barefoot with the boys. Remembering those days, Gita said,
“I often used to suffer from an injury while playing barefoot with the boys who wore boots. My mother, and friends used to forbid me. But I did not give up, continuing to play football. Today I am thankful for those days as I have developed the strength, power, and fighting spirit.”
She first got a pair of boots from her coach Babu Banerjee at Ghola High School. She added,
“He might have observed my psychological strength and courage to play barefooted with the boys and decided to gift me a pair of boots.”
Gita Das is in the final squad of the women’s football Bengal team for the ongoing senior national championship in Mathura.
The Hardship of Gita Das
Originally hailing from Kakdwip, a town in South 24 Parganas, Gita was brought up in her uncle’s house in a place named Sodepur in North 24 Parganas. As her father died in childhood, Gita’s mother Bimala Das has been the key person in the family who is fighting against dire financial distress. She is a cook and earns from cooking in different households in her locality. Gita’s elder brother started working at a medicine shop recently. The family was beleaguered by poverty in such a manner that Gita could not continue study after completing 10th standard. Even during the lockdown, following the Covid-19 pandemic, Gita had to work in a fruit shop to save her football career for which she was passionate since childhood.
The Regrets of Gita Das
Gita revealed that she has regrets. She stated,
“Since 2010, I have been playing in different positions on the field like left-back, left-half, and left-wing. I want to settle in one position and another thing that I desperately need a job or an opportunity to play in the Indian Women’s League (IWL). I need to earn some admirable amount of money. I have the only desire to ask my mother to take a rest at home now.”
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