The Bhutanese Leading the way.
For Bhutan’s women footballers, the question is not just how much they earn from the game, but whether football can provide a sustainable livelihood.
While current players say their income is enough to cover their basic needs, accounts from former players and coaches point to financial challenges and the search for better opportunities abroad.
Director of Operations at the Bhutan Football Federation (BFF), Phuntsho Wangdi, said, “National players receive monthly financial support of Nu 20,000 from Druk Holding and Investments (DHI) and Nu 10,000 from the BFF. During the Bhutan Premier League season, players representing clubs can earn around Nu 50,000 to Nu 60,000 over the course of the league.”
He said the financial support provided by DHI and the BFF is the same for male and female national players.
Speaking to The Bhutanese, national team player Sonam Choden, 23, said her salary covers her basic expenses. “My salary covers house rent, utility bills and sending a little money back home for my family, and also buying training gear for football,” she said.
She added, “It is enough if I don’t spend money on other things.”
Meanwhile, former women’s football player Dechen Choki, 39, who currently works as a coach and regional manager in Bumthang, said coaching did not always provide a stable income to support her personal and family needs.
“The income from coaching is not always enough to cover all my personal and family expenses. Coaching opportunities and financial support are sometimes limited, making it difficult to depend entirely on coaching as a stable source of income,” she said.
Despite the financial challenges, she said her passion for football and commitment to developing young players in her district motivated her to continue coaching.
For some players, the financial challenges extend beyond making ends meet and influence their decision to leave the country in search of better opportunities. Sonam Eden, 28, a former national player now living in Australia, said she moved abroad in pursuit of a better lifestyle and a brighter future.
“It was difficult to earn a stable living through football in Bhutan. Even though I enjoyed playing, the income and opportunities were limited. Most opportunities were also concentrated in the capital, which added to the financial burden. It was hard to depend on football as my only source of income,” she said.
Dechen Choki said career opportunities for retired athletes in Bhutan remain limited, with only a few able to move into roles such as coaching, refereeing, sports administration and sports development. Without permanent positions or structured pathways to continue working in sports after retirement, many former athletes have to seek employment in other sectors to support themselves and their families.
Dechen said providing professional training in coaching and sports management, along with creating more employment opportunities in the sports sector, could allow retired athletes to use their experience to contribute to the development of sports in Bhutan.
BFF Director of Operations, Phuntsho Wangdi, said retired players could pursue coaching or become licensed referees if they were interested and willing to take up these opportunities.
However, Dechen Choki’s account points to the limits of these pathways, with coaching income not always sufficient to meet personal and family expenses and opportunities in the sports sector remaining limited.
The challenge, therefore, extends beyond how much players earn during their playing careers. It also concerns whether they can find stable employment when they leave competitive football.
For women who have spent years representing their football clubs and country, limited employment opportunities could make it difficult to remain in the sports sector while supporting themselves and their families.
Furthermore, expanding employment opportunities and providing professional training in coaching and sports management could help former players continue contributing to Bhutanese football beyond their playing years.
