After the high of reaching 101st spot on the FIFA rankings, there’s a need to spare a thought for the Indian National Women's team campaign at the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers, which ended with a 2-0 win over Hong Kong. Having been crushed by North Korea, South Korea and Uzbekistan, the Blue Tigresses managed a consolation win in their last game.
While the scope of improvement regarding Women's Football is massive in India, we lack a plan. Though it’s impressive that the current coaching set up is well qualified and capable, the need for a robust competitive structure, in order to create opportunities for girls and women, is still there. Importantly, these efforts need to be long-sighted to ensure the growth, and not just participation, of the players.
I had the opportunity to witness the first ever Women’s League organized by the federation and it was heartening to see six teams participating in the tourney.However, everyone concerned did agree that there is still a lot that needs to be done.
Firstly, there has to be an increase in the number of participating teams and secondly, Indian clubs need to buy into it. Out of all the ISL and I-League teams, only one fielded their team in the league.
There was a lot of widespread interest when the Women’s League workshop was held in the first half of 2016. However, the enthusiasm was not sustained by the time league commenced. There is a need to understand that there is a huge gap between men’s and women’s football in the country.
A structure, that actually works for the existing clubs, needs to be in place and that would be a good start. However, other than the clubs and academies, private firms and companies need to take an initiative to ensure there is a competitive structure.
Moreover, there is still a dearth of women coaches and this definitely restricts the participation of girls. Most importantly, the parents should be encouraged to help their daughters accept the sport whole-heartedly.
Back to the roots and the regions, there is a need for the states to develop women’s football. Events like Subroto Cup U17 Girls tournament could play an important role in shaping up the players and coaches alike.
The daughters of our nation deserve to be included in the football revolution and who knows the women’s national team can go on and better their male counterpart.
