Oinam Bembem Devi (born 4 April 1980) is an Indian football coach and former footballer from

Manipur Manipur () is a state in northeastern India with Imphal as its capital. It borders the Indian states of Assam to the west, Mizoram to the south, and Nagaland to the north and shares the international border with Myanmar, specifically t ...

. In 2017, she was honoured with the

Arjuna Award The Arjuna Award, officially known as Arjuna Awards given for Outstanding Performance in Sports and Games, is the second-highest sporting honour of India, the highest being the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. The award is named after Arjun ...

by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. She was nicknamed the ''Durga of Indian Football'' and is currently involved in spreading awareness about Women's football in India. Oinam Bembem Devi is the recipient of India's highly prestigious award

Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...

2020.

Early life and club career

Devi began her career as a footballer in 1988 when she began training at the United Pioneers Club in Imphal. In 1991, she was selected to represent the

U-13 team in the sub-junior football tournament. Her performances in the tournament got noticed, and was signed up by Yawa Singjamei Leishangthem Lekai club, and two years later, by the Social Union Nascent (SUN) Club. At the national level, Devi is a regular member of the

state football team for woman since the year 1993. She has been appointed the captain of her state team since the 32nd National Games held in

Hyderabad Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...

, where she led her state to victory. On 9 June 2014, Maldivian football club

New Radiant New Radiant Sports Club is a Maldivian professional football club based in Henveiru – Malé, Maldives. The club was founded on 19 August 1979 by Ahmed Waheed and his friend Ahammadhanik. New Radiant has won all domestic competitions bein ...

, announced the signing of Devi and another Indian youngster Lako Phuti Bhutia. Bembem Devi made her debut as a late 1st half substitute, in their match against Maldives police service on 11 June and her speed and skill were a constant threat to the opposition as Bembem provided two assists in her team's 4–0 win. In the match against defending champions Sun hotels and resorts, Bembem scored in both halves to help New Radiant WSC to a comfortable 4–0 win, securing them a spot in the semi-finals against Sun Hotels and Resorts. In the semi-finals, they defeated Sun hotels and resorts 5–1 and entered the final. The Final match was held on 21 June 2014 between New Radiant SC and Maldives National Defence Force. Bembem Devi scored in 9th and 26th minute of the match, to help New Radiant WSC achieve a historic 5–1 win over MNDF to win the league. Bembem Devi ended up as the top scorer of the

tournament A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: # One or more competitions held at a single venue and concen ...

with 6 goals in just 3 matches. She also provided 4 assists and she was awarded the Player of The Tournament for her excellent performances.

International career

At the age of 15, Bembem made her international debut against

Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...

in the Asian Women's Championships. The turning point in her career came at the 1996

Asian Games The Asian Games, also known as Asiad, is a continental multi-sport event held every four years for athletes of Asia. The Games were regulated by Asian Games Federation from the 1951 Asian Games, first Games in New Delhi, India in 1951, until ...

, where the Indian national team were drawn in a group alongside

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

and neighbours

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

. They lost to Japan 1-0 and won against Nepal 1-0 to progress from the group with Japan. In round 2 they would be drawn in a tough group alongside the national teams of

Uzbekistan , image_flag = Flag of Uzbekistan.svg , image_coat = Emblem of Uzbekistan.svg , symbol_type = Emblem of Uzbekistan, Emblem , national_anthem = "State Anthem of Uzbekistan, State Anthem of the Republ ...

Turkmenistan Turkmenistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest and the Caspian Sea to the west. Ash ...

and

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...

. They lost all their matches but by then Oinam Bemben Devi had announced her arrival at the national stage. Before the 1997 AFC Cup in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

, the Indian eve's team were sent to

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

for a month-long camp, where the national team players were trained by German coaches and played against German oppositions. The camp proved vital as the Indian team won 3-0 against

Hong-Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

the top ranked team in women’ s football, defeated India 1-0 and in their final group game encounter India thrashed

10-0. She was given the armband of the Indian contingent in the AFC qualifying competition, held in

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

in 2003. She was the captain of the Indian team that emerged winners at the 11th

South Asian Games The South Asian Games is a quadrennial multi-sport event held among athletes from South Asia. The South Asia Olympic Council, which was formed in 1983, governs it. The Games consist of seven countries, namely Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, N ...

held in

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

, in 2010 and the

2012 SAFF Women's Championship The 2012 SAFF Women's Championship is the 2nd SAFF Women's Championship since the first one in 2010. The competition is contested by the eight South Asian women football teams. India defended their 2010 title by defeating Nepal 3–1 in the final ...

held in

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

in the year 2012. She played her last game on 15 February against Nepal, at the 12th South Asian Games in Shillong. She finished her international career with 82 caps.

Career statistics

As manager

Devi was appointed as manager of

Eastern Sporting Union Eastern Sporting Union, known as ESU, is an Indian professional football club based in Imphal, Manipur. Its women's team competed in the Indian Women's League. Eastern Sporting Union is one of the most successful women's football club in India ...

in 2017

Indian Women's League The Indian Women's League (abbreviated as the IWL) is the women's top tier professional football league in India, founded in 2016. Currently, a total of 8 teams from across the country participate in the league. The competition was planned ...

final rounds. She also became the first manager of

history to claim the tournament title also as a player. In 2018, she was assigned as the assistant coach for the India U17 women's team. In the 2018–19 Indian Women's League season, she managed Manipur Police Sports Club.

Honours

Player

India *

Gold medal:

2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

SAFF Women's Championship The SAFF Women's Championship, also called the ''South Asian Football Federation Women's Cup'', is a competition for women's national football teams governed by the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF). All seven members are eligible to partici ...

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

Eastern Sporting Union *

: 2016–17 Manipur *

Senior Women's National Football Championship The Senior Women's National Football Championship for Rajmata Jijabai Trophy, also known as Senior Women’s National Football Championship or simply the Rajmata Jijabai Trophy since 2024, is a women's football tournament contested by state a ...

: 2013–14 New Radiant WSC * FAM Women's Football Championship:

2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...

Manager

Eastern Sporting Union *

: 2016–17 Manipur *

: 2021–22

Individual

* FAM Premier League Player of the Tournament: 2014–15 * AIFF Women's Player of the Year (2): 2001, 2013 *

2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

References

Bibliography

* * * *

External links

Indian Express, Football Nationals

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Oinam 1980 births Living people Footballers from Imphal Indian women's footballers India women's international footballers Expatriate women's footballers in the Maldives New Radiant S.C. players Sportswomen from Manipur Footballers at the 1998 Asian Games Footballers at the 2014 Asian Games Women's association football midfielders 21st-century Indian women 21st-century Indian people Eastern Sporting Union players South Asian Games gold medalists for India Asian Games footballers for India Recipients of the Padma Shri in sports South Asian Games medalists in football Indian expatriate women's footballers Indian expatriate sportspeople in the Maldives Indian football coaches Indian women's football managers Recipients of the Arjuna Award Indian Women's League players