Sruti Chakraborty
AIFF Media Team

NEW DELHI: Sribhumi FC were never among the elite clubs in the rich history of Bengal football; not even on the fringes, only a couple of years ago.

Yet, Sribhumi FC, considered the upstarts by many, have proved everyone wrong. By miles. This season, in the prestigious Indian Women’s League, which is to be kicked off on Friday, January 10, 2025, Sribhumi FC are one of the two teams from the eastern metropolis to vie for the title along with East Bengal, exactly one hundred years older than the new entrants in the competition. 

Sribhumi FC and Nita Football Academy from Odisha, will make their debut in this season of the IWL. Sribhumi have made the grade after their creditable triumph in the IWL2 last season.

“As we look forward to the IWL, our main competitors are East Bengal. There will be a mental and physical battle when we face each other. We often joke about the city rivalry,” says the club’s Technical Director Sukla Dutta, while speaking to www.the-aiff.com.

“We often refer to it as the new Bengal Derby. It highlights the competitiveness in women’s football in Bengal,” she laughed.

Sribhumi FC, a part of Sribhumi Sporting Club, were founded in 2019. In 2023, the club finished as runners-up in the Women’s IFA Shield, won the Calcutta Women’s League, and claimed the Kanyashree Cup Premier Division A title for the first time. They won the IWL 2 last season, scoring 34 goals and earned promotion to the 2024-25 IWL.

Sukla joined the club during the IWL 2 season in Goa after coaching the U19 women’s national team to victory in the SAFF U19 Women’s Championship 2023 in Bangladesh.

“I joined the club during the IWL 2 season in Goa and since then I have seen how much hard work the girls and the officials put in. We became IWL 2 Champions and now I hope the girls perform well in this upcoming IWL. My role as a technical director is different from that of a coach, as it involves a lot of technical insights on various situations during session analysis and about practice and match scenarios,” Sukla said.

The club have signed two big names in Women’s football, Bala Devi and Aditi Chahuhan, both former India captains and also have India internationals like Rimpa Haldar, Sibani Devi, Nitu Linda. The club have recruited three foreigners from Ghana. Apart from them, the club also have some talented juniors like Monalisha Devi Moirangthem and Anita Kumari who played in the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup.

“Bala and Aditi are the two senior players we have. Other than that, we have local players from Bengal as well. Aditi’s command on the field is excellent, and she provides strong guidance from behind. Bala has successfully gelled with the juniors despite her star status in women’s football. Bala leads the warm-ups, and the juniors learn a lot from her.

“When we played and saw other matches in the IWL 2, we were confident that several players from our first XI would participate in the IWL. However, we also selected players from other clubs in the IWL 2, including teams like Nita FC and East Bengal. Trials were conducted in Kolkata before finalising the squad for the IWL,” Sukla said.

Head coach Sujata Kar, who is a known face in women’s football in Bengal, joined Sribhumi FC in 2023 and helped the team win the Kanyashree Cup and IWL 2.

“The club’s vision is to be successful in all tournaments. The club President Mr. Sujit Bose, and Secretary Mr. Rakesh Jha, have a clear vision, and there is mutual respect among everyone involved. I receive support from all members of the club. A club is not only successful because of the players. It’s also the officials who put in their full effort and work towards achieving the goals,” coach Sujata said.

“We have made some changes while selecting the squad, bringing in local players as well as talent from other states—15 from Bengal and 12 from states like Manipur, Jharkhand, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh. I believe this season is going to be competitive. The players are talented, and we want to play good football. Based on my knowledge, the players and coaches of other teams are also experienced.

“I am very happy with the team. It’s a junior-based team with only two seniors, Aditi and Bala. We wanted to incorporate some experienced players, and Bala brings in great team spirit. Having seniors in the team adds a positive dynamic,” Sujata said.

This will be debutants Sribhumi FC’s first encounter with the strenuous home-and-away format. Coach Sujata believes this will boost the players’ confidence and said, “It’s beneficial for the girls, as it can be tough for them as well. They are excited, and we have strong support for everyone.”