Football: A turning point for India's Blue Tigresses

Mint

a day ago

Chances are you didn't see the biggest thing to happen to Indian football in recent times. After all, it wasn't beamed on live television or picked up by any of the plethora of streaming services. When India played Thailand earlier this month, in a match that would decide their fate for the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup football and keep their World Cup dream alive, it was only streamed live on the Changsuek YouTube Channel and Thai Women's Football Facebook Page.
Most of India was hence tuned out as the national women's football team made history. They defeated Thailand, a team ranked 24 places above them in the FIFA rankings, 2-1 on 5 July to qualify for the Asian Cup for the very first time.
Yes, India had played the showpiece continental event before —in 2003, when they competed directly in the main draw, and then in 2022, when they were given an automatic spot as hosts but had to leave the tournament due to a covid-19 outbreak in the team. But this was the first Indian side to earn their place in the line-up, that includes football powerhouses like Japan, Australia and South Korea. To get there, they defeated Thailand, a team they had never beaten before in front of their home crowd at the Chiang Mai Stadium.
'It is sad," says India's most-capped player Loitongbam Ashalata Devi, who sat out the tournament as she is recovering from an ankle injury. 'That we had to watch it on the Facebook page of the rival team. But this is why the success of the Indian team is so important. No one will support us till we prove ourselves."
The Indian women's team is no stranger to indifference. Though not the most competent of bodies, the All India Football Federation's governance of the women's game was shambolic till recently. The first top-flight club tournament, the Indian Women's League (IWL), was only founded in 2016. National camps were few and far between. In 2023, the IWL took place after the completion of the more popular men's Indian Super League and were made to play in the afternoon in April in the sweltering heat in Ahmedabad.
Things have improved in the last couple of years. The IWL now takes place over four months, rather than the 18 days it started out with. Participating clubs have adopted a more professional approach and have boosted player salaries. Players like Manisha Kalyan, Soumya Gugoloth and Jyoti Chauhan earned contracts with European clubs and brought back all that knowledge and experience. Even now, Ashalata points out, most of the national team members have to take up government jobs to sustain themselves.
This is what the Indian team that played in Thailand was battling for, a lost past and a better future.
The team was as prepared as they had ever been. A two-month national camp under the guidance of new coach Crispin Chhetri, and international friendlies had helped them get ready for the challenge ahead.
The 'Blue Tigresses" started their journey by ripping through the competition. They defeated Mongolia 13-0, Timor Leste 4-0 and Iraq 5-0 in their first three Group B matches to set up a tantalising decider. Going into the final match against the hosts, India were dead level with Thailand on nine points and goal difference of +22. It was a virtual knockout against an opponent they had never beaten. Thailand were seeking their 10th Asian Cup qualification and had been to the World Cup twice, in 2015 and 2019.
'That morning, we did our prep, had the team meeting," says defender Sweety Devi Ngangbam, who captained the Indian team in the match against Thailand. 'We knew this was the one chance in our life to go through. We believed in each other, knew we had a great chance with this group."
'There was no room for error, we had to do this," the 25-year-old adds. 'I was lucky that my father was a football coach, pushed me into the game and supported me throughout. But I have seen so many players struggle. Most of them have to battle their families and society just to play the game. Then, they have to deal with things like lack of funds, of access to grounds or a proper diet. So many had to face these challenges, we knew we needed to do this for the future generation of players."
This was a team on a mission. Sangita Basfore gave them the lead in the 29th minute. But Thailand came back hard in the second half and scored through Chatchawan Rodhong in the 47th minute. After Basfore secured a lead for India once again, in the 74th minutes, the Indian team protected their lead gallantly, throwing bodies in defence as Thailand mounted one attack after another.
Once the final whistle blew, the Indian team erupted in joy, then melted down in tears. 'We kept hugging, and reassuring ourselves that we had done it," says Sweety Devi. While qualifying for the Asian Cup for the first time in 23 years is a historic achievement indeed, the endgame for this team is the World Cup. The AFC Women's Asian Cup Australia will serve as a qualifying event, with the top six teams progressing to the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.
'This could be a turning point in women's football in India," says Ashalata, 32. 'The road to World Cup is open." The dream is on. Hopefully, there may be a few more takers this time.
Deepti Patwardhan is a sportswriter based in Mumbai