SAFF Women's Championship: Debutant Rimpa Haldar backs India to play 'better football'

The forward from West Bengal made her debut for the Blue Tigresses against Bangladesh.

In 2021, Rimpa Haldar faced a setback when she missed out on a spot in the final squad for the India U-19 Women’s team in the SAFF Women’s Championship. The disappointment hit hard, and for a moment, she thought about walking away from football altogether. But deep down, she wasn’t ready to give up. She kept pushing herself, day after day.

Then, in 2024, everything changed for her. Rimpa, a forward, finally stepped onto the field for her senior debut against Bangladesh in the SAFF Women’s Championship 2024. As she pulled on the India jersey, a flood of emotions surged through her. All the struggles, the doubts, and the hours of training led to this moment.

Having come on as a substitute in the 52nd minute, Rimpa dished out an impressive display on her debut. She didn’t allow the nerve to overshadow her natural game. A couple of her through passes were eye-catching and had the Bangladesh defence in all sorts of trouble.    

“I knew my chance would come and when it came in the second half, I promised to myself that I would give my best effort whenever I stepped on the pitch,” Rimpa told the All India Football Federation (AIFF).

“When I did not get selected in 2021, at that point, I doubted I would ever play for India. However, my coach motivated me to keep pushing forward, and from then on, I promised myself that I would wear the India jersey one day,” she said.

The 17-year-old Rimpa hails from Haspukur village in South 24 Parganas district in West Bengal. She was into athletics and participated in 100m and 200m before she started playing football in her village with Sporting Union club and is the only girl from her village, who got selected for the national team.

“I am proud to be the first from my village, Haspukur, to represent India in the senior team. I started playing football when I was eight years old. Before that, I participated in athletics. But my coach Aveek Biswas insisted that I pursue football, seeing my speed. I began playing football in my village with the Sporting Union Club. In 2019, I moved to Kolkata and joined the Kolkata Police Club,” she said.

The top-scorer in the Kolkata women’s football league twice, Rimpa played for ultimate champions Sreebhumi FC in the IWL 2 (Indian Women’s League 2) this season and scored five goals in four matches. She will be seen in action during the Indian Women’s League 2024-25 this season for Sreebhumi FC.

“Whenever I return home, I feel the love and support from everyone. The entire village comes out to cheer for me. Girls in our village didn’t play football, but I kept going, and it’s been worth it so far. I initially played as a right-winger, but when I came to Kolkata, I transitioned to an attacking midfielder,” Rimpa mentioned.

Rimpa, an admirer of Bala Devi, has dreamed of playing like her for the country for many years and said, “When I started watching football, I used to watch Bala di and Sangita di a lot. My idol is Bala Di. I admire her hard work and aspire to reach her level. Playing consistently well is something I have learned from her, and I hope to represent India for years to come, which is my dream.

“The national camp has been a great learning experience for me. Everyone here has taught me valuable lessons. The upcoming match against Nepal will be crucial, and I believe we can play better football, improve our passing, and score more goals,” said a confident Rimpa.

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