TN’s East Bengal girls soak in fan adulation after IWL win

CHENNAI: Firsts are always special and those victories taste sweeter when a slice of history is created along with them. The East Bengal FC women’s team experienced that on-top-of-the-world feeling after ending the club’s two-decade wait for a national top-flight crown with its maiden Indian Women’s League (IWL) triumph.
Integral to EB’s title-winning blitz were forward Sandhiya Ranganathan and midfielder Karthika Angamuthu, two India internationals from Tamil Nadu who were part of the red-and-gold family for the first time.
While Sandhiya (Sethu FC and Gokulam Kerala FC) and Karthika (Sethu and Odisha FC) had clinched two IWL trophies each before joining East Bengal, they admitted that recreating the feat at the Kolkata heavyweights was a whole new ball game altogether.
“I knew that there is a huge fan-following for football in Kolkata, but I had not experienced it. There is pressure when you play for a club like East Bengal; I cannot deny that. EB have been existing for more than a century now, so I felt proud representing one of the biggest clubs in India. This title triumph is extra special; being a senior player, I had to shoulder responsibility to take the team forward,” Sandhiya, contributor of four goals and two assists, told TOI.
Karthika echoed Sandhiya’s words. “When I signed for East Bengal, I felt that it would be just like any other club. But after joining, I realised how big a club it is. I actually feel grateful; there are so many players in India who are waiting to represent a club like EB. I was eager to make a difference after getting a chance and I am delighted to have played a part in our title run,” said Karthika, a mainstay in the middle of the park.
Sandhiya and Karthika were bowled over by the “immense support” they received from the EB fans, both at their home venues and on social media. “The attendance (at home grounds) improved as the season progressed. The fans showered their love via social media as well. Our journey would have been incomplete without the fans,” said the 26-year-old Sandhiya.
“There is so much craze for football in Kolkata; it was a different feeling playing there. I had never seen this kind of support for football in India,” Karthika added.
Duo hails head coach’s key role
Karthika and Sandhiya praised head coach Anthony Andrews, a well-respected name in Indian football circles, for playing a “big role” in the title triumph.
“There will be misunderstanding and miscommunication in every dressing room. It is in those situations where problems emerge. Coach handled those situations well and ensured that we played as a team,” said the 25-year-old Karthika. “We took it step by step and just followed our coach’s instructions,” Sandhiya went on to add.