Srinagar, November 20: J&K Women’s team football coach, Nadiya Nighat has lashed out at lesser known organisation National and International Footballers Forum (NIFF) being targeted as she had not joined them in their tussle with JKFA.
Nadiya who is set to lead J&K Women’s football team in senior National Women’s football championship, was on Friday, November 19, mentioned by NIFF in its post on facebook as the person behind roping outside J&K players for the J&K Women’s team. They had expressed their disappointment for not producing local women footballers in J&K.
However later in the evening, Nadiya , in a detailed post on her official Facebook page lashed out at NIFF for misleading people and targeting her.
“Really Disappointed with the statement of NIFF. I am Nadiya Nighat, a footballer turned football coach. I am handling J&K senior Women’s team that will represent J&K in upcoming Nationals.
I was shocked to see todays statement from NIFF wherein they have targeted me Personally for bringing players from Haryana to be part of J&K team. It was shock and surprise both for me to see such insensible statement coming from the organisation that claim to be working for players welfare and for the game. Now they have targeted a player who is voluntarily trying to develop J&K Women’s football and they call themselves saviours of our game,” Nadiya’s post reads.
“Fully Disappointed with them , in order to settle personal and political scores they have used this as excuse despite knowing harsh ground reality of which they are also part.
I have few points to explain , and let people decide themselves who is wrong and who is not,” she said.
In a point wise explanation on why she stepped in to rope in outside J&K players, Nadiya said that NIFF is as much responsible for decline of J&K Women’s football in J&K as much as JKFA as these people were themselves part of JKFA for years.
1: Open trial were held and we were unable to draw maximum girls from J&K to be part of the team due to AIFF age rules and COVID Vaccine certification needed.
2: Being coach it wasn’t my duty to get players . But I used my personal influence , connections in order to see our team participating in National. I could have sit in the backdrop and let JKFA handle this.
3: NIFF is blaming JKFA for not developing JK Women’s football. Sorry to say they sail in the same boat as they were also part of JKFA as well all these years and held Top posts. What they did all these years except fulfilling their self interests .
4: Sports Council Football Academy has been working since 2016. Where are its players . Where are its girl products who could have been part of this team. Sports Council spent Crores on Academy, why it has failed to produce women football players till date. Infact most of the NIFF members are running this academy, that means they have failed.
5: During 2016-17 , Sports Council deputed its Women’s I League team. How many J&K players were part of that team and who were part of that team as Officials. Sorry to say , again NIFF members. For shows, political functions they keep on display its women products, but then in open trials no such product is visible.
Lashing out at NIFF she said that it seems personal agenda of some persons to settle personal scores and she is being targeted .
“I have come to the conclusion that it is all about achieving personal political goals , nothing else. While I am working to develop women football, I am being targeted because I am not part of the NIFF,” her post reads.
“If I would have joined NIFF, then I will be best coach around. I am trying to focus on my profession and have decided to not join any party that is focussed on settling its personal scores.
I will continue to work for the development of the Women’s football and I know in that path, I will face such challenges,” it added.