Key Points
Among the first to arrive for training at the ground of the Langthabal Sporting Club in Imphal West, Diya has worked hard as a member of the Ya_All Sports Club, India's first football club of transgender players, to battle discrimination and raise awareness about gender justice and equality..
"Instead of sitting in closed rooms and talking about our problems, we decided to go out to stadiums and play football," explains Hanjabam about the origins of Ya_All Sports Club formed entirely of transgender male players. "Football is more than just a game in our state..
The unprecedented event served as a testing ground before Ya_All would formally declare the formation of a football club of transgender players two years later...
Six years after it played its first game, Ya_All Sports Club today has 20 members, who train at least twice a week and play friendly matches against football clubs in Manipur..
The fact that Ya_All Sports Club is the country's only football club for transgender players is holding the club back from further progress..
