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First Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- First Post
'Indian women's football is headed towards bright future': Dalima Chhibber reflects on recent surge, historic Asian Cup qualification
At the curtain-raiser event for the 64th Subroto Cup, Indian footballer Dalima Chhibber reflected on the recent historic qualification for the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 and the rise of women's football in India. read more As the tournament is approaching the commencement date, a beaming curtain raiser event of the Subroto Cup was held at the Akash Officer's Mess in Delhi on August 12. Image: Special Arrangement Given that the men's team is struggling to put the Indian flag on the global stage, those who have only followed the Blue Tigers would hardly consider India a footballing nation. However, the sport has a long history in the country, ruling the landscape long before the rise of cricket. The platforms for the youngsters to showcase their mettle in the field of football were always there, and one among the most prominent of those is about to complete its 64th year of existence in 2025. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Subroto Cup, the inter-school tournament that promises to push the young raw talent to the professional avenues of the sport, is scheduled to begin on August 19, 2025. The tournament will feature Sub Junior Boys (U-15), Junior Girls (U-17), and Junior Boys (U-17) categories, and a total of 106 teams will compete in this year's edition. Besides the local teams, international participation from Nepal and Sri Lanka will also be witnessed this time. More from Football Subroto Cup 2025 trophy launched in Delhi The trophy for the upcoming Subroto Cup was held on Tuesday in Delhi in the presence of the Indian Air Force Air Marshal S Sivakumar and Indian footballer Dalima Chhibber. Air Marshal S Sivakumar VSM, Air Officer-in-Charge Administration & Vice Chairman SMSES (left), along with Indian footballer Dalima Chibber (right). On the sidelines of the event, defender Dalima, who last played for India in 2024, shared her thoughts on India's historic qualification for the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 in July this year, and what it says about the strength of Indian women's football. This is the first time that the senior Indian women's football team has . They have been drawn against Japan, Vietnam and Chinese Taipei in Group C of the tournament, which will take place in March next year. It's a golden opportunity for India as the semi-finalists will gain a direct entry into the FIFA Women's World Cup 2027 in Brazil. The losing quarter-finalists will take part in a play-off. 'India are going to be going in headstrong' Dalima is confident that the Indian football team, which includes star players like Pyari Xaxa and Sangita Basfore, will enter the Asian Cup 2026 to qualify for the World Cup. 'It means everything to us because we have qualified in our caliber on our abilities. Our dream is to reach the FIFA World Cup, and of course Asian Cup is a stepping stone towards that dream, and we are looking forward. We are prepared, and we are going to be going in headstrong, physically strong,' Dalima said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Dalima was also asked to share any advice she may have for the team, to which she said, 'The only tip is going to be to keep working hard.' However, when asked by Firstpost about giving a prediction about how India would fare in the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026, she did not give a clear answer, replying, 'I think we'll talk about that once the time comes.' India Footballer Dalima Chibber during the presser of Subroto Cup 2025. No comparison between men's, women's team While women's football has made a noteworthy stride, the men's football team, led by Sunil Chhetri, is facing a frustrating spell, being ranked 133 in the world and having only won one game in the last eight matches. Chibber was asked to draw parallels between the two sides. To which she said, 'We can't compare the men's team with the women's team but I myself have been playing for the women's football for the past 15 years. 'What we have achieved recently after 25 years of hard work, showcases the capabilities of our footballers and in what direction we are moving. We are headed towards a good future, a bright future.'
Hans India
3 days ago
- Sport
- Hans India
Subroto Cup to kick off on August 19
New Delhi: The prestigious Subroto Cup International Football Tournament will kick off its 64th edition with 106 teams, vying for top honours across three categories, Junior Boys and Girls and Sub-Junior The tournament is scheduled to be hosted across Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru from August 19 to September 25. An official announcement to this effect was made in a press event at the Akash Officer's Mess here in the national capital on Tuesday, in the presence of Air Marshal S Sivakumar VSM, Air Officer-in-Charge Administration & Vice Chairman, Subroto Mukherjee Sports Education Society (SMSES), who graced the occasion as chief guest. Indian footballer Dalima Chhibber also graced the occasion as the Guest of Honour. The Subroto Cup, hosted by Subroto Mukerjee Sports Education Society under the aegis of Air Force Sports Control Board, was first held in 1960 and was named after Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee, who conceived the idea in order to promote sport at the grassroots level. The tournament will begin on August 19 with the Junior Girls (Under 17) category in Delhi-NCR. The Sub-Junior Boys (Under 15) category matches will be hosted in Bengaluru from September 2, while the final phase of the tournament, the Junior Boys (Under 17) category, kicks off on September 16 in Delhi-NCR. Addressing the gathering on the occasion, Air Marshal S Sivakumar VSM, Air Officer-in-Charge Administration & Vice Chairman SMSES, said, "The Indian Air Force and SMSES have been committed to make the tournament bigger and better every year, providing a platform for young kids to take the next step in their career. I congratulate all the teams who have qualified for the tournament and wish them all the very best. May they play the game in the true spirit of sportsmanship.' Indian footballer Dalima Chhibber said, 'It is an honour to be back at the Subroto Cup, where my journey started in 2011 with the first-ever Women's Under-17 tournament. This tournament gives wings to young boys and girls who have dreams at the school level and provides them with the confidence and opportunity to showcase their talent and get selected. Many players from here have joined national teams, and I hope we can all support this tournament for the betterment of the sport in the country.' Seven players shall be selected from the scouting round for advanced football training in Germany, as part of the Indian Tiger & Tigresses campaign. Besides the hallowed Ambedkar Stadium and the Tejas Football Ground, Subroto Park Football Ground and Pinto Park Football Ground in New Delhi will be the venues in the Delhi-NCR region. In Bengaluru, the matches will be played at the Air Force School, Jalahalli, the Air Force School, Yelahanka and the HQ Training Command Football Ground. The total of 106 teams participating across the three categories will represent States and Union Territories (UTs) and the different educational bodies of the country, along with teams from four foreign countries. A total of over 200 football matches are scheduled to be played across all three categories. An age determination test will be conducted for the Sub-Junior Boys category at Bengaluru to ensure fair play for all the teams participating. TG English School, Bishnupur, Manipur are the defending champions of the Junior Boys category, while Mother International School, Ranchi, Jharkhand defended their title in the Junior Girls category last year. Nongiri Presbyterian Secondary School, Meghalaya, clinched the Sub-Junior Boys title at Bengaluru in the previous edition.
