Grace Dangmei on international retirement, Indian women’s football, future plans

Grace Dangmei’s decision to retire from international football was considered for about a year.

«When we played the Asian Cup Qualifiers in Thailand (June 2025), I thought about retiring. But we qualified and then I came to Australia. There the result was not in our hands, but I made a call. If we win the SAFF Championship, I will retire. So I thought about it for a long time,» Grace said. Sports stars a few days after the aforementioned SAFF Women’s Championship in Goa.

India lifted the SAFF title for the first time in seven years after beating Bangladesh 3-1 in the final. In the official match report published by AIFF, the news of Grace withdrawing from India was revealed. It seemed a rather contradictory conclusion to a career that lasted thirteen years, during which she represented the Blue Tigresses 96 times and scored 24 goals.

However, the revelation may have seemed sudden, as it was Grace’s impromptu decision during the summit that caught everyone on the team off guard.

«I told Mario (Aguiar), our goalkeeping coach, during the warm-up that I am going to retire after this match. So I told him to give me a chance in this match (laughs). He said he would speak to the coach. Head coach Crispin (Chettri) was angry because I had not told him before, but I just smiled. I didn’t want to announce this before the final because there was tension and pressure and I didn’t want to disrupt the preparations,» Grace recalled.

India were comfortably ahead 3-1 when Grace was introduced into the game in the 86th minute, replacing Pyari Xaxa on the field for what would be her last appearance as an India international.

So why hang up the boots (of international football) now?

«I want to continue and do things other than football. I took the position because there are a lot of junior players now who can play for the national team. It’s not because of physical fitness or anything. I just want to focus on my next step after football,» the 30-year-old began.

“I approached some senior players and asked them if this would be the right decision. They said yes, because if we stay in one place for too long our value drops.”

Start in Bishnupur

Around 2008, Grace was a budding sprinter. She even went along with her father to seek admission at SAI NERC in Imphal. However, the center was filled with older people, which made her feel uncomfortable. Grace was advised by her father to take a break from playing and concentrate on her studies. But as fate would have it, shortly afterwards a friend came to her with the proposal to join a football team.

«She told me that there was a tournament happening in our area and one person was needed. I asked my father and he gave me permission. And I played football for the first time. Once I started training after a coach told me if I was interested, I ran out after school, quickly changed clothes and took the available vehicle to practice,» Grace said from her home in Bishnupur in Manipur.

But over the past three years, her state has hardly resembled the place where she once started her football journey. Manipur has been embroiled in an ethnic conflict, with Grace’s hometown – located in Churachandpur district – recently at the center of the unrest. The footballer hoped that peace would soon reign.

«The situation in Manipur is such that we have to be constantly alert. When we go on the road, anything can happen on the way. It is really scary. I hope the government, the leaders of every community come to a decision and then bring peace to all the people. Things like the education system and the livelihood of the people have been affected. So I hope this situation is resolved at the earliest and normalcy is restored,» she urged.

Regrets, highlights and the future

When asked about the one regret she had from her international career, the answer could have been anticipated almost immediately. «Not being able to qualify for the World Cup is something I will regret for the rest of my life. It’s not that we didn’t get the chance, but we didn’t succeed.»

But one moment, perhaps the highlight of her career in India for her, that Grace knows by heart is the 2019 SAFF Women’s Championship in Nepal. Coincidentally, that year is also her best in terms of goals scored (11).

«Under the coach of Maymol (Rocky), we played the final against Nepal. I remember the meeting we had, everyone was very emotional. The host was supported by local fans and there was not even a single India supporter to be seen. Dalima (Chibber) scored first, but then they equalized. I scored the second and then Anju (Tamang) scored the third goal. We won the final in front of the Nepali crowd, and that will remain one of the most memorable moments of my life.»

Although Grace has spent time on her international career, she will continue to play club football – an ecosystem she has watched evolve for years. The veteran – who captained Sribhumi FC for the 2025-26 season – admitted that the Indian Women’s League (IWL) has improved over the last three to four years, but much more can be done.

«There have been some improvements and some bad things. Like recently we had the home-away system which suddenly stopped. I think the number of teams and matches should be increased so that players get more playing time. Moreover, the men have tournaments like the Durand Cup and others. For us, it is only the IWL and the Senior Nationals. If AIFF could introduce more tournaments for the women, it would help a lot,» she began.

«The financial status is a little better, but I expect more as the budget gradually increases. Not like the men’s side, but something stable. In terms of international exposure, AIFF has given us friendly matches, which was not there when I started playing in 2013. The only matches we would play would be the qualifying round of the AFC Asian Cup,» she added.

Finally it was time to ask Grace what her future plans were now that the weight of wearing the Indian jersey had been lifted. She kept her cards close, despite a little research, but revealed that her future involved further study. And what about club football?

“I play freely and without tension,” she laughed.

Published on June 25, 2026