"2023 is going to define Women's Football in the country" - Dalima Chhibber speaks ahead of India's opener at the Asian Games

The Indian National Women's Team are set for a gruelling year of footballing action as they kick off their Asian Games campaign against Chinese Taipei on September 21, 2023 at the Wenzhou Sports Center Stadium. This is followed by the Second Round of the AFC Women's Olympic Qualifiers in late October.

The Blue Tigresses have never progressed past the group stages in the Asian Games and the Second Round of the Olympic Qualifiers. Thus, 2023 presents an exciting opportunity for the senior side to prove their mettle against some of the top sides in the continent.

Dalima Chhibber has been a constant feature with the Tigresses for the last few years, establishing herself as an automatic choice in Head Coach Thomas Dennerby's eleven. The fullback's resilience, ability to bomb down the flank, and crossing ability have brought her much acclaim since her debut with the senior side in the 2016 South Asian Games.

She led Kickstart FC Karnataka to their first-ever Indian Women's League final in May 2023, something that not many could have predicted. In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, the 26-year-old spoke about how crucial 2023 is going to be for women's football in India. Here are some excerpts:

Q: The Senior Team has been in the camp for over a month now. How have the preparations been going?

Dalima: The preparations in the camp have been going really well. We have some exciting games lined up in two important tournaments coming up. Everybody in the camp has been putting their best foot forward and giving our 100%, whether it is in the field or in the gym.

Q: Head Coach Thomas Dennerby is back with the Tigresses. What is your impression of him and how important is his reappointment going to be in this tough year of footballing action for the team?

Dalima: Coach Thomas (Dennerby) is a great coach and an even better human being. I feel that his reappointment to the team is crucial since we have an exciting and tough series of games coming up. Since he has been working with the team for the past two years, he understands all the players - the individuality they bring to the team, their strengths, and how we can come together to perform well.

Likewise, we as players are very comfortable and understand his style of play and philosophy. One of the teams that we are going to face is Chinese Taipei, and under Coach Thomas' guidance, we beat them in 2021 for the first time ever. This is one of the positives that we'll be carrying to the two upcoming tournaments.

Q: How do you fancy your chances against Thailand and Chinese Taipei in the Asian Games, can India make it past the group stages for the first time?

Dalima: For us as a team, we have a really good chance of making it past the group stages for the first time in the Asian Games. We will take one game at a time and do our best in all the games that we play. We have played against some of the teams in the past and some will be a bit new, but we, as a team, have been working together for a very long time. Under Coach Thomas' guidance, we have come a long way with our performances. The players are quicker and faster than before.

I think every time that the Indian Women's Football Team steps on the field, especially if they are organized in India, those are the moments that define Women's Football in our country. It is the same with the Asian Games, an opportunity we have gotten after a long time. We fancy our chances to make it to the quarter-final and our aim will be to perform our best on the given day.

Even in the Olympic Qualifiers against Japan, Vietnam and Uzbekistan, we will be carrying all the hard work and effort put into the training sessions for the past one and half months. 2023 is going to define Women's Football in the country.

Q: You celebrated your 26th birthday a few weeks ago. And at only 26, you already have around 50 appearances for the National Team. You've seen the team grow over the last few years, how important do you think this year would be for Women's Football in India?

Dalima: I started playing for the senior team in 2016, and here we are in 2023. We have come such a long way and made some history as a team. We are carrying a lot of responsibility on our shoulders with young girls looking up to us as we try to create a path and opportunities for them by performing well.

We know we are walking into two very important tournaments, and on the given day, we will be prepared to do what it takes to get the results we desire.