U-17 WC an opportunity for women's football: Bembem

New Delhi, March 27 (IANS) Former India women footballer Bembem Devi reckons that hosting the 2020 FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup will be nothing short of a revolution for the game in the country.

After successfully hosting the FIFA men's U-17 World Cup in 2017, India is slated to host the women's event for the first time.

"FIFA U-17 World Cup is a great opportunity for India to put women's football on the world map and galvanize it. I feel we can win a match in the FIFA World Cup for sure," Bembem, who played at the international level for over 20 years, said at the FICCI Goal Summit on Wednesday.

"I worked with the Indian Under-16s and they are really intelligent and know how to play the game," she added.

"We lost in the AFC U-16 Qualifying because of the weather conditions as we were playing in sub-zero temperatures. I strongly believe we can achieve a lot," she opined.

Sara Pilot, Chairperson, AIFF Women's Committee, stated that it's a "very exciting moment for women's football in India".

"The FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup is a revolution for all of us. We in India are trying to push women's football to the next level. It is really an exciting moment to host a Women's World Cup.

"Great things can happen through women's football in India for women empowerment. It is an effort to change lives and gender equality in India as a sustainable goal," she added.