6 days ago
Indian women's football team can qualify for FIFA World Cup: Defender Dalima Chhibber
Indian defender Dalima Chhibber believes the national women's football team is on the cusp of a breakthrough and can go on to qualify for the FIFA Women's World Cup, following their historic entry into the AFC Women's Asian Cup on Tuesday at the launch of the Subroto Cup school football tournament, where she was present as guest of honor, Dalima expressed confidence in the team's potential, praising the blend of experienced campaigners and emerging means everything to us and we have qualified because of our abilities," Dalima said. "We are heading towards a golden future. Recently, our U20 team also qualified for the Asian Cup. It is a sport that every country plays, we are taking steps in the right direction and it is a matter of time before we achieve success and qualify for the FIFA World Cup."
India booked their Asian Cup berth after defeating higher-ranked Thailand 2-1 in the final qualifier last week, marking the first time the Blue Tigresses have made the tournament through the qualification route. Midfielder Sangita Basfore was the hero of the match, scoring twice in what was effectively a knockout victory also propelled India seven places up the FIFA rankings to 63rd, reflecting the strides the team has made in recent months. For Dalima, who last represented India in 2024, the achievement signals a turning point in Indian women's qualification is all the more significant given the disappointment of 2022, when the Indian team's AFC Women's Asian Cup campaign ended abruptly after a COVID-19 outbreak forced them to withdraw. That setback, Dalima said, has only strengthened the team's resolve to return and compete at the highest players such as Pyari Xaxa and Basfore leading from the front, Dalima believes India have the personnel to compete with the best in Asia and push for a place on the world stage."Qualifying for the Asian Cup is not the end goal," she noted. "It's the next step towards where we want to be - playing in the World Cup and making the country proud."The AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 will serve as a key stepping stone in that journey, offering India the platform to test themselves against Asia's elite and, potentially, secure a ticket to the FIFA Women's World Cup.- EndsTrending Reel
