Saba Parveen, 30, is looking forward to playing football in a ground at Mumbra dedicated to women players. Six years ago, the scene was different. She loved playing football, but was scared to tell her family. She used to sneak out for practice sessions. Gradually, she started participating in tournaments and her family came around. Now, she is a football coach employed with a social organisation. “Things have changed. Many girls aspire to be athletes in Mumbra. I hope they too get a platform to follow their dreams,” Parveen said.

As five acres of land, adjacent to Maulana Azad Stadium, is being readied for the ground, sports-loving women in Mumbra hope that the five-year-long wait will end soon. Footballers have been organising tournaments to garner interest from girls. The ground will have lights, security, washrooms and changing rooms. With a dedicated ground to themselves, NGOs hope that many women will shed their inhibitions. “When families know women have a dedicated space to play, they may allow their children to take up sports,” said Sabah Khan, founder of NGO Parcham, which has been working with Thane Municipal Committee (TMC) to get the ground for the girls.

On March 8, more than 100 girls and women participated in the Third Fatima Bi Savitri Bai Football Tournament held at the ground. This was followed by competitions in May. On May 1, the girls were told that the name they chose for their Women’s Day tournament was proposed as ground’s name. “We chose the names of Fatima Bi and Savitri Bai as they are pioneers of women empowerment,” said Khan. While only 20 girls used the ground in 2012, now around 100 women from across the city use it. Afifa Ansari, 17, was one of them. Her years of hard work have yielded fruit. “When we started off, men leered at us. We didn’t let this stop us from pursuing our goal. With a dedicated ground for girls, we hope things will change,” said Ansari, now a national-level footballer. “The polls delayed the work. We need to build basic facilities before handing it over to the NGO,” said Manish Joshi, deputy municipal commissioner, TMC.

First Published: May 07, 2019 00:02 IST