imphal: Dozens of people, mainly from the Rongmei community, dressed in their traditional clothes gathered at Imphal airport on Friday night to welcome Dangmei Grace, an Indian international women’s football player from Manipur.
Organized by Rongmei Naga Students’ Organization Manipur (RNSOM) in collaboration with RNCM and RNLPM, Indian striker Grace was welcomed and greeted by her community and well-wishers after her stint in Uzbekistan.
A native of Dimdailong in Bishnupur district, Grace is one of the few Indian female football players to play in the top division with an overseas league.
Last July, Grace signed a professional contract with Uzbekistan-based PFC Sevinch and won the Uzbekistan Women’s League in November. Grace also took the gold medal in the Hero Indian Women’s League with Gokulam Kerala FC in May.
While expressing gratitude for the outpouring of love from the people, Grace said, “It is very surprising to me because I did not expect such a crowd and warm reception. But I am very happy that many people came to see me.”
Speaking about her experience playing in the foreign league, the Indian striker said, “For me, I have gained a lot of experience because the style of play here in India and the other countries has a huge difference. So I think I gained a lot of experience with them.”
According to Grace, Manipur, the state she is from, dominates the sports in the country, including football, and there will be much more improvement in the future.
“Many women from the state have taken up sports as their careers and I think a lot of improvements have been made in the last two to three years. It is a proud moment for both Manipur and the country,” she added.
Grace started her international career in 2013 and won the South Asian Games (2016, 2019) and SAFF Women’s Championships in 2016 and 2019.
In 2019, she was also named ‘Emerging Player of the Year’ by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and won the Manipur Woman Footballer of the Year Award the same year.
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