Former indian football captain Ngangom Bala appointed as inspector in Police dept

Imphal, Jan 21: Ngangom Bala, India’s first woman footballer who had played in a European club after signing a professional contract, was appointed as an inspector in Manipur police department in Imphal.

The 30 year old India’s most decorated woman footballer was officially given the Inspector rank during a small ceremony at Chief Minister’s official secretariat in Imphal in presence of the top officials of the state police department on Friday.

Along with India’s ace footballer Bala, goalkeeper of the Indian football team Elangbam Panthoi Chanu was also felicitated during the gathering by presenting traditional lengyan (muffler) by the state chief minister N Biren Singh.

Confirming this and sharing a video of the event in a tweet on Friday, Biren Singh wrote, “International football player Ngangom Bala Devi was honored by appointing to the post of Manipur Police Inspector while goalkeeper of the Indian football team Elangbam Panthoi Chanu was felicitated. We have been honoring the athletes for bringing glory to the nation & the state.”

Bala who captained Indian women football team from 2016-18, becomes the first Indian woman footballer to be signed by Rangers FC, one of the top football clubs in Scottish League for an 18 months contract which allows her to be available for two seasons.

In fact her journey to Rangers FC- a Scottish club started in November 2019 when she visited the Ranger facility in Glasgow for six days and managed to impress the technical staff.

Bala started playing football from a very young age among the boys in their Irengbam Mamang Makha Leikai in Manipur’s Bishnupur district,according to Bala’s mother Ngangom Mema (57).Bala’s father Manihar is a cultivator.

In 2021, the State Government had also appointed Olympic Silver Medalist Saikhom Mirabai Chanu as Additional Superintendent of Police (Sports) in the Police department.