Jamshedpur FC

Jamshedpur, December 22: For Ankita Kumari and 21 of her teammates, Saturday is not just another match day. It is a journey they have waited for. The girls, accompanied by their coaches, set off on a three-and-a-half-hour road trip from Ranchi to Jamshedpur with one clear purpose to play competitive football in the Jamshedpur Super League.

In a landscape where organised match exposure for women footballers remains limited, especially outside major centres, the Jamshedpur Super League has become a rare and valuable platform. For these young players, the tournament offers something they often miss back home, real match situations, structured competition and the feeling of playing in a league environment.

The journey was far from futile. The Ranchi-based contingent has been split into three teams, Blue, Yellow and Diamond Divas, competing in the Girls division alongside 17 other teams, taking the total to 20 teams in the category. In all, 22 players from the group are part of the league, most of them under the age of 17, and several with experience of representing Jharkhand at district and state levels.

Ankita Kumari summed up the motivation behind the long travel. “We have the passion to play football, but there are not many opportunities to play competitive matches in Ranchi. When we heard about the Jamshedpur Super League, we knew we had to come and play,” she said.

Her teammate Urvanshi Kumari highlighted the larger significance of the initiative. “Jamshedpur FC is doing a very good job by organising a girls league. Usually, most tournaments are only for boys. This initiative gives girls like us a proper platform to play. When there is a match to play, the travel feels much shorter,” she said, pointing to the enthusiasm that outweighs the physical strain of the journey.

The girls are part of a residential academy run by the Jharkhand State Sports Promotion Society in Ranchi, a programme that focuses on identifying and nurturing talent from rural and semi-urban areas. Some of the players have also featured in India age-group probables, underlining the quality within the squad.

Coach Mukut Khess believes tournaments like the Jamshedpur Super League are crucial for their development. “The biggest benefit is exposure. These girls come largely from rural backgrounds and need regular matches to develop their skills and confidence. Playing in a league like this prepares them for higher levels. A few of them are already on the radar, and with this kind of experience, they can aim for IWL 2 this year or next year,” he said.

For the players, the seven-hour round trip, the early starts and the physical fatigue are small prices to pay for meaningful game time. More importantly, their presence adds depth and diversity to the Girls division, reinforcing the community-driven spirit of the Jamshedpur Super League.