https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Chitra_GangadharanChitra Gangadharan - Revision history2026-07-31T07:38:58ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Chitra_Gangadharan&diff=430142&oldid=prevAjay Kumar at 18:28, 25 September 20232023-09-25T18:28:56Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Former Indian women’s football player}}<br />
'''Chitra Gangadharan''' (born 15 July 1969) is a former Indian women's football player from [[Karnataka]]. She also captained the Indian team<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sagnik |date=2021-03-12 |title=Watch: First Indian woman to coach a men's team — Chitra Gangadharan |url=https://thebridge.in/iwl/watch-first-indian-woman-coach-a-mens-team-chitra-gangadharan-20276 |access-date=2023-09-22 |website=thebridge.in |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> and was part of the All Stars Asian team in 1977–78.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chitra Gangadharan – SportsMeet – Bangalore |url=https://sportsmeet.wordpress.com/tag/chitra-gangadharan/ |access-date=2023-09-20 |website=SportsMeet - Bangalore |language=en}}</ref> She was part of the Senior India Women's Football team from 1975 to 1981.<br />
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== Early life ==<br />
She who hails from Gandhi Bazar in [[Bengaluru]] (then Bangalore) started as a cricket player, playing for Padma Socials as a wicketkeeper. She, however, shifted to football when the State started a women's football team. Mr Rajappa of the Football association called some of the cricket girls and they were coached by 1948 Olympian Raman. In 1990s, she used to play at the National College Ground in Basavanagudi. E Ramakrishna Rao, former India player and ITI coach, helped her to find a place to play football. Later, she coached the women's team of BUFC known as BUWFC.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |author=Jaikrishnan Nair|date=Mar 7, 2009 |title=She gives men football lessons |url=https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/opinion/sunday-read/she-gives-men-football-lessons/articleshow/22199674.cms |access-date=2023-09-20 |website=Bangalore Mirror |language=en}}</ref><br />
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In 1976 she player her first international.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Woman Football Coach Says Skill is All That Matters |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/2016/apr/25/Woman-Football-Coach-Says-Skill-is-All-That-Matters-928725.html |access-date=2023-09-20 |website=The New Indian Express}}</ref> She joined the Indian camp on a trial basis but impressed the coah Sushil Battacharya and was selected as the first goalkeeper for the Thailand tour. In 1980-81 She did the SAI coaching course in 1981 and she got a Nivea scholarship of Rs.500, a big amount then. She became the first women's football coach in India. She played for Sahara India in the Women's league in the early eighties. She was also a class I referee with the KSFA after passing the AFC 'A' licence in 2007–08, along with Karen of Goa.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nair |first=Jaikrishnan |date=2009-03-07 |title=She gives men football lessons |url=https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/opinion/sunday-read/she-gives-men-football-lessons/articleshow/22199674.cms |url-status=live |access-date=2023-09-20 |website=[[Bangalore Mirror]]}}</ref><br />
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She coached the BUFC men's team and became the first woman in India to coach a men's team. From 1998, she was the goalkeeper coach of the Indian team with some breaks in between.<br />
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Chitra married Kamal, who is also a football player.{{cn|date=September 2023}} Her daughter Amoolya Kamal was part of the Incheon Asian Games where Chitra was the goalkeeper coach.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-08-24 |title=Mother, daughter team up to bring football glory |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/sports/mother-daughter-team-up-to-bring-football-glory/story-qqW3DxCnoFfEVqdNCknTBN.html |access-date=2023-09-20 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref><br />
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== Career ==<br />
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* She played for India as a goalkeeper from 1975 to 1981.<br />
* She represented Karnataka in the Senior National Women's Football Tournament in 1975 at Lucknow.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chaudhuri |first=Arunava |date=2012-07-11 |title=SportsMeet-Bangalore, July Edition: Chitra Gangadharan (ex-Footballer) |url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/sports/sportsmeet-bangalore-july-edition-chitra-gangadharan-ex-footballer |access-date=2023-09-20 |website=www.sportskeeda.com |language=en-us}}</ref><br />
* In 1980, she was the captain of the Indian team that won the silver in the Asian Cup.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2014-08-24 |title=Mother, daughter team up to bring football glory |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/sports/mother-daughter-team-up-to-bring-football-glory/story-qqW3DxCnoFfEVqdNCknTBN.html |access-date=2023-09-20 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref><br />
* in 2011, she was the goalkeeper coach of the team which played three friendlies against Bahrain.<ref>{{Cite web |title=News |url=https://www.orisports.com/NewsDetails.aspx?nId=Mjc5Mw== |access-date=2023-09-20 |website=www.orisports.com}}</ref><br />
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== References ==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gangadharan, Chitra}}<br />
[[Category:1969 births]]<br />
[[Category:Living people]]<br />
[[Category:Indian women's footballers]]<br />
[[Category:Footballers from Karnataka]]<br />
[[Category:Sportswomen from Karnataka]]<br />
[[Category:India women's international footballers]]</div>Ajay Kumar