Shillong, Sep 1: In a major achievement for the sports sector in the State, Meghalaya’s FIFA assistant referee Riiohlang Dhar has been selected as match official for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Asian Cup India 2022- Qualifier Group D to be held in Lebanon from September 17 – 23, 2021.

Riiohlang Dhar, also a constable of the Meghalaya Police (MLP), and Ranjita Devi Tekcham from Manipur are the two women referees selected from India to officiate the match at Lebanon next month.

In 2018, Dhar and Ranjita Devi Tekcham made it to the coveted list of elite FIFA International referees.

Dhar, a resident of Jowai town in West Jaintia Hills, cleared her fitness test on Tuesday at Kolkata. She said she was quite worried about her fitness due to the prevailing Covid situation and also the curfew that are being imposed.

She also informed that FIFA conducts these exams for its referees every year. So they must keep themselves fit all the time.

Lack of support from government

Meanwhile,  although she has been selected as the match official for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), she hasn’t been  provided any kind of support from the government.
The first time she was selected as a FIFA referee was in 2018, and since the  she has bee n selected ever successive year but the government doesn’t seem to care about her achievement at all.

Even for her travels, she needs to manage her transport expenses while fooding and lodging that is paid by the organisation.

She expressed that although she is working with the Meghalaya police, it doesn’t mean that she is earning a lot. Her salary is barely enough to support her family.

Even for her trip to Lebanon, she will have to bear the flight ticket, which is around Rs. 83,000. Although the organisers  have stated that it will reimburse her expenses,  she is still wondering waya to arrange the amount as there are other costs involved. Also, reimbursing is a long and lengthy process and it takes long time for the amount to be credited to one’s account.

She feels that the government hasn’t reached out to her because she isn’t an athlete who will bring medals and trophies to the state. Also, she feels that the government thinks ‘less’ of her in comparison to an athlete.

On her expectations from the government, Dhar said that she just wants support and not be treated like this. “Give us equal treatment like all sportsperson and don’t think less of a referee. It would be nice if the government encourages us it will motivate us to inspire others since this is the first that someone is being selected from Meghalaya,” she expressed.

She further stated many think that referees earn a salary but it is not so. “We are paid per game and in Meghalaya the price for per game we get is approximately Rs 200,” she informed.

Accolades and felicitations

Till date only the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) from Mawlai, the West Jaintia Sports Association and the Shillong Sports Association (SSA) have felicitated or awarded her. Her workplace – 1st Battalion of Meghalaya Police – had also felicitated her and presented her a memento.

Working president of the Meghalaya State Olympic Association (MSOA) John F Kharshiing said that it is a matter of pride for Meghalaya that she is one of only two women referees from India who was able to pass the recently conducted stringent FIFA selection process.

“Congratulations Kong Riiohlang Dhar for this continued progress in Sports,” said Kharshiing.