3 reasons why we should prioritize the Indian women's football team's participation in the Asian Games

Indian football is going through yet another rough patch - the All India Football Federation (AIFF) is at loggerheads with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the sports ministry, who have ruled out the participation of the Indian national men's and women's teams from the Asian Games 2022.

The ministry has stated that only the sporting teams who have achieved a rank of eighth or above in Asia over the last year will be cleared to take part.

This comes at a particularly cruel juncture for the Blue Tigresses as the rest of the world is celebrating the ongoing FIFA Women's World Cup, the grandest edition ever organized. Meanwhile, not only have our girls been potentially deprived of the opportunity of playing in the Asian Games, there were no friendlies organized for them in the recent friendly window of FIFA either.

They also lack an official coach after Thomas Dennerby's departure. It seems likely that Anthony Andrews, the former Gokulam Kerala boss will take charge after he was recommended by the technical committee appointed by the AIFF for the job.

While there has been a buzz around the Indian football fraternity for the inclusion of the men's team in the Asian Games owing to their recent performances, there seems to be no mention of the women's team who equally deserve the opportunity, if not more.

Here are three reasons why the participation of the Blue Tigresses in the Asian Games 2023 should be a no-brainer.

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#1 The Blue Tigresses are 11th in Asia

Among the AFC nations, the Indian women's team is ranked 11th, which is only three short of what the sports ministry has advocated. They are seven spots above the men's team in their respective rankings.

If the IOA believes that rankings are the best validation of merit that a sports team can possess, then the Tigresses are much better poised than the men's team to pick up medals and advance to the latter stages of their event.

Teams ranked lower than them like Nepal, Singapore, and Bangladesh are all set to participate, so why shouldn't India? China and Vietnam, who are playing in the World Cup, will also be sending their teams.

This presents a golden opportunity for our girls to test their mettle against big sides.

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#2 Three U23 women footballers from India play in Europe

Indian women have been making forays into football abroad in recent years. As many as three U23 players are currently plying their trade for European clubs.

Manisha Kalyan represents Apollon Ladies FC, who have a rich history of featuring in the prestigious UEFA Women's Champions League. Meanwhile, Soumya Guguloth and Jyoti Chouhan don the blue of Dinamo Zagreb.

While Manisha and Soumya are now regulars in the national team setup, Jyoti is yet to earn her first cap. The experience that this triad possesses is immense and will pose a serious threat to top teams like China, Vietnam, and the Phillippines.

Three players above the age of 23 can also be a part of the squad. The likes of Dangmei Grace, Dalima Chhibber, and the legendary Bala Devi all have experience from playing abroad and will boost India's chances at the Asian Games.

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#3 A fair shot at redemption for AFC Asian Cup heartbreak

No one really likes to talk about the gut-wrenching way in which an optimistic Team India had to bow out of the AFC Women's Asia Cup in 2022. Despite the tournament being held under a bio-bubble, COVID-19 cases broke out in the hosts' camp with 12 Indian footballers testing positive. They were eventually forced to withdraw.

While the memories cannot be completely erased, the Asian Games can provide a sense of compensation for the Blue Tigresses. With a few top sides in the mix, they can finally showcase their improvement and stamp their authority as one of the most promising sides in the continent.

While it makes sense to use names like Sunil Chhetri, Sandesh Jhingan, and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu to raise more awareness about exactly how crucial it is for India to participate in the competition and also to draw leverage and apply further pressure on the authorities, the women shouldn't be excluded from this conversation.

It's time the Tigresses got their chance to roar.