Parents of Astam Oraon will watch their daughter defend forays from the US on TV in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup inaugural match between India and the US at their home in Gumla district, some 150km from Jharkhand’s capital Ranchi.

“I cannot describe my emotions to see my daughter play as a defensive midfielder. I had always asked her to play as a deep-lying midfielder and her goal scoring prowess (five in six matches at junior national football championship in 2019) caught the attention of national football selectors. I am also thankful to the Gumla administration for giving us a TV to watch the match,” said Hiralal Oraon, father of Astam, himself a district-level footballer in Bishunpur block of Gumla and a farmer by profession.

“I work in other fields and do not earn much for my family (four daughters, a son and a wife). However, with my daughter donning national colours hopefully our conditions will improve as she will get a government job soon,” said Hiralal.

Gumla deputy commissioner Sushant Gaurav confirmed that the district administration has arranged for a 43-inch TV, an inverter and few chairs for the family.

“India is participating in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup for the first time and a daughter from our district is leading the team. It is a tremendous occasion. I came to know that the family does not possess television and we decided to give them a TV, inverter and few chairs to watch the matches,” said Gaurav.

The deputy commissioner also informed that Rs 2 crore has been sanctioned for a proposed football stadium at their panchayat in the name of the woman footballer and a metalled road has been constructed till the house of the footballer in the Gorratoli village in Bishunpur block of Gumla district.

The newly installed TV at the home of Astam Oraon in Gumla on Tuesday

“She has always dreamt of being a footballer ever since her childhood. She was the first from her village to be selected at the state-run residential football academy in Hazaribagh. We could not afford her good diet and she had rice, vegetables and water but persevered hard to succeed,” said Tara Devi, mother of Astam.

The feat of Astam has brought development projects also to the village in the block known for rebel activities in the past. “We will try to link women’s self help groups with employment, construction of platforms, soak pits and installation of solar lights will begin shortly,” said the deputy commissioner.

Directive has been issued to construct a check dam through the MGNREGA scheme in the village.

Significantly, two girls from Gumla district have been selected in the Indian team for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, Astam Oraon and Sudha Ankita Tirkey (Chainpur block of Gumla). The other four girls from Jharkhand selected in the Indian team comprise Neetu Linda, Anita Kumari and Anjali Munda from Ranchi and Purnima Kumari from Simdega.

Meanwhile, Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren congratulated the Indian team and the Jharkhand girls and in a letter written to All India Football Federation president Kalyan Choubey extended his heartfelt wishes and invited him to Jharkhand to undertake a close working partnership with the state government for promoting and developing women’s football in Jharkhand and India.