Nyitsarho Nyusou, a 25-year-old goalkeeper hailing from Meluri village under Phek district in Nagaland, has become the first woman from Nagaland to sign a professional contract with an Indian Women’s League club.
Nyusou recently inked a season-long deal with the Delhi-based HOPS FC to participate in the Indian Women’s League, a top-tier league for women’s football in India. Despite a 1-0 defeat against defending champions Gokulam Kerala FC in their debut match, Nyusou, who was an unused substitute, remains optimistic about her upcoming debut in the league. The next challenge for HOPS FC is on January 4, when they will face East Bengal.
Born to Adi Nyusou and Siletshii Nyusou, Nyitsarho Nyusou is one of nine siblings who credited her father for introducing her to football. Her journey in the sport led her to the Indira Gandhi Football Girls Academy, where she was discovered and groomed as a goalkeeper by her coach.
In an exclusive interview with Mokokchung Times, Nyusou said, “I didn’t expect to play in the women’s top-tier league,” but expressed her gratitude to God for leading her to the Indian Women’s League club. She highlighted the crucial roles played by her family and coaches in securing her a spot in the professional league.
Shedding light on the challenges faced by women in sports, particularly the lack of support, Nyusou viewed that it has demotivated a lot of girls from pursuing their careers in sports. However, in her case, she emphasized, it was her family’s support that enabled her to pursue her football dreams outside Nagaland.
We Need Platforms: Nyusou’s call for change in Nagaland women’s football
Emphasizing the crucial need for quality coaching and exposure to empower girls in their sporting careers, she expressed, ”Now we don’t have age teams or senior teams in the state” and underscored the significance of the Department of Youth Resources. She noted that, with DYR girls’ football academy, the junior team could achieve greater heights with proper guidance and age-group tournaments.
“We are not far behind other states, but we don’t have any platform to showcase our talent. I feel sad seeing other states competing at the highest level in football, but we hardly see any Nagaland girl playing in football tournaments outside Nagaland,” she lamented.
With aspirations to represent India in the future, she recalled missing the opportunity to join the Indian women’s preparation camp in 2013 due to personal reasons. The AIFF scout team spotted her during her representation of Nagaland in the senior National Women’s Championship in the same year.
In a heartfelt message, she expressed, “I now have the honor of representing Nagaland in the Indian Women’s League for HOPS FC. Please continue supporting both me and my club as we strive to make progress.”
She played as the goalkeeper for the Football Association Phek District and Nagaland. Her previous engagements include representing Kemp FC, a Bangalore-based club, in the Karnataka Women’s Super Division League, and Royal Rangers FC in the Delhi Division Super League.
HOPS FC, previously known as South West Delhi FC, stands as an Indian women’s professional football club based in Delhi, actively participating in the Indian Women’s League and FD Women’s League. The club proudly maintains its affiliation with Football Delhi.
