The dusty Tamil Nadu town of Dindigul is not a place you’d normally associate with football, leave alone international recognition. Now, G Rupa Devi from Dindigul has become the first female referee from the state to be certified to officiate in international matches conducted by FIFA.
This feisty sportswoman led the Tamil Nadu women’s football team in 2010 before going on to referee both at state and national level matches as well as in other countries such as Sri Lanka, Bahrain, Malaysia and Qatar. She then participated in Project Future, a FIFA programme to identify referees, and has now been selected as an international referee. The Tamil Nadu Football Association received the communication from the All India Football Federation.
The 26-year-old has always been passionate about football. In fact, she quit her job as a Physical Education teacher because her employers frowned on her frequent travelling to referee football matches. Rupa Devi told The Times of India, “As a child I used to stand on the side lines watching football matches and kick the ball whenever it came towards me. I worked in a school as the Physical Education teacher but they asked me to either quit the game or leave the school as I kept travelling for refereeing purposes. Of course, I kicked my job.”
Rupa Devi Image courtesy: Sportskeeda.com
It was Dindigul Football Association honorary secretary S Shanmugam, who first spotted Rupa Devi’s talent and supported her. As Rupa Devi was from an underprivileged background, the association decided to sponsor her education and training. She received coaching in refereeing and sat for the Category IV exam and passed with flying colours which enabled her to referee matches within Tamil Nadu. C
According to Shanmugam, “Chennai has a handful of male FIFA referees and the association sent Rupa Devi to be coached by them on the nuances of the examination, which resulted in her passing the Category II exam which took her to other countries,“ he says.
Next, Rupa Devi wants to better her skills and officiate in Olympic and World Cup matches. “If selected, FIFA will offer training for another three to four years. That’s my dream, besides getting a chance to meet Lionel Messi,” she said in the interview.
