BHUBANESWAR: The US and India are on very different levels as footballing nations, in the men's as well the women's game. But just like the hijab controversy and the ensuing protests in Iran, which the women in India can well identify with, the systemic abuse of young woman footballers in the sport and the subsequent protests also find resonance here.
While an independent report released last week revealed the systemic player abuse within women's professional football structure in the US, and that the NWSL and governing body US Soccer failed to adequately protect the players, in June in India, U-17 assistant coach Alex Ambrose was accused of alleged sexual misconduct with one of the team members during an exposure trip and was later suspended by the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
Under a new administration, AIFF has not divulged much on the case or on what support was offered to the squad despite a POCSO case having been registered against Ambrose.
On Tuesday, at the pre-match press conference, India's head coach Thomas Dennerby did not reveal anything on the matter. "Since that incident, we have put our sole focus on training. I think we have moved on from that episode and don't talk about it much," the former police officer said.
While the abuse of young sportswomen is not restricted to a sport or a country, the difference lies in the handling of the matter that can be detrimental to the development of the women's sport. And in stark contrast to AIFF, US Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone said additional allegations of abuse have come to light since the publication of the Yates report and praised the 'brave people' who have come forward in the fight.
US U-17 coach Natalia Astrain also acknowledged the desire for change in the federation as well as the contribution of stars like Megan Rapinoe in coming forward in protest.
"I am a coach and don't make these decisions. But the federation has taken note of the report and is hopefully doing the needful so that more girls can take up the sport without fear. The protest in Wembley by the teams (US and England wore teal armbands during their World Cup qualifier) as well as Rapinoe, who is such a great ambassador for the sport, talking about it has put it in limelight," Astrain said.
As the 16 teams prepare to kickstart their U-17 World Cup campaign and inspire more girls to take up football, it is also important for the governing bodies to prevent those dreams from changing into nightmares.
