Latest news with #Women'sLeague
The Sun
17-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Cornelli eyes friendlies as key prep for Malayan Tigress to Asian Cup qualifiers
PETALING JAYA,: New Malayan Tigress head coach Joel Cornelli has described the two upcoming international football friendlies against Bhutan and Hong Kong, and two matches against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as ideal preparations for the team ahead of his first major task at the 2026 Women's Asian Cup qualifiers in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Cornelli said the upcoming fixtures will be crucial for him to assess the capabilities of his squad and implement his footballing philosophy before heading to Tajikistan in June. 'This will be a very important week of training to get to know the players and to start implementing my philosophy and game model with the team. 'Bhutan and Hong Kong are not in our qualifying group, but it is very important to see the level of our team at this moment because this is the only available match window,' he told reporters at the opening ceremony of the Women's League Qualifying Round at the PKNS Field here today. The national team are set to take part in the Tier 1 Tri-Nation International Series in Thimphu, Bhutan, facing Bhutan (May 31) and Hong Kong ( June 4), before travelling to the UAE for two more warm-up matches on June 20 and 22. Cornelli said the friendlies would allow him to address weaknesses in the squad, particularly in attacking and finishing. 'I've only seen the girls in video footage matches against Indonesia, Cambodia in August, and Saudi Arabia, and we didn't score many goals. 'Of course, we need to work on that during these friendly matches so I can identify the best positions for the players and better understand where our weaknesses lie,' he said. For the AFC Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers, Malaysia have been placed in a challenging Group H, alongside three-time champions North Korea. Malaysia will also meet Palestine and Tajikistan, who will host the qualifiers from June 23 to July 5. Only the group champions will advance to the finals, which will take place in Australia from March 1 to 21 next year. Malaysia last qualified for the Women's Asian Cup in 1995 when they hosted the tournament. The national team's best-ever performance in the tournament was a third-place finish in the 1983 edition, held in Thailand.
The Sun
17-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Malayan Tigress Coach Eyes Friendlies as Key Prep
PETALING JAYA,: New Malayan Tigress head coach Joel Cornelli has described the two upcoming international football friendlies against Bhutan and Hong Kong, and two matches against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as ideal preparations for the team ahead of his first major task at the 2026 Women's Asian Cup qualifiers in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Cornelli said the upcoming fixtures will be crucial for him to assess the capabilities of his squad and implement his footballing philosophy before heading to Tajikistan in June. 'This will be a very important week of training to get to know the players and to start implementing my philosophy and game model with the team. 'Bhutan and Hong Kong are not in our qualifying group, but it is very important to see the level of our team at this moment because this is the only available match window,' he told reporters at the opening ceremony of the Women's League Qualifying Round at the PKNS Field here today. The national team are set to take part in the Tier 1 Tri-Nation International Series in Thimphu, Bhutan, facing Bhutan (May 31) and Hong Kong ( June 4), before travelling to the UAE for two more warm-up matches on June 20 and 22. Cornelli said the friendlies would allow him to address weaknesses in the squad, particularly in attacking and finishing. 'I've only seen the girls in video footage matches against Indonesia, Cambodia in August, and Saudi Arabia, and we didn't score many goals. 'Of course, we need to work on that during these friendly matches so I can identify the best positions for the players and better understand where our weaknesses lie,' he said. For the AFC Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers, Malaysia have been placed in a challenging Group H, alongside three-time champions North Korea. Malaysia will also meet Palestine and Tajikistan, who will host the qualifiers from June 23 to July 5. Only the group champions will advance to the finals, which will take place in Australia from March 1 to 21 next year. Malaysia last qualified for the Women's Asian Cup in 1995 when they hosted the tournament. The national team's best-ever performance in the tournament was a third-place finish in the 1983 edition, held in Thailand.
Indian Express
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
IUML opens doors to women in national leadership. Why Jayanthi Rajan breaks many ceilings
For the first time in its history, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has inducted women into its national leadership, including a non-Muslim face. Jayanthi Rajan, a Dalit leader from Kerala, and Fathima Muzaffer from Tamil Nadu, both members of the IUML women's wing, were chosen by the party Thursday to become national assistant secretaries in its national council. Their names were announced at a meeting in Chennai, which also saw the IUML elect a national president and other office-bearers. The induction of the two women faces is expected to help the IUML shed its image of a 'male-dominated party'. An ally of the Congress, the IUML has often wrestled with juggling between the growing demand for better women's representation in the party and the conservatism advocated by Muslim clerics. In 2021, Haritha, the women's wing of the IUML's Muslim Students Federation (MSF), had held protests over gender-related issues within the party. After this, the IUML had set up a 20% representation benchmark for women in all its affiliated groups. Last year, the IUML inducted women into the state leadership of the Youth League, the party's youth wing, for the first time. The 46-year-old Rajan, who hails from Wayanad and belongs to a family of 'Congress supporters', began her journey with the IUML in the 2010 local body elections, which were the first after 50% seats in these bodies were reserved for women. The IUML looked for eligible women beyond the Muslim community to field, and this led them to Rajan for a ward under the Poothadi panchayat in Wayanad. Rajan by then was already active in social work. Rajan told The Indian Express: 'In 2004, I began my career with a Church-run NGO, which was involved in women's empowerment through micro-financing and self-help groups. The IUML was also involved in a lot of charitable works in the area and that helped me find beneficiaries… Their involvement in charity and social causes influenced me.' Rajan won the local body elections as an IUML representative, and simultaneously joined the party's Women's League, going on to become a member of its Wayanad district committee. She was later nominated to the state committee of the Dalit League, which is a wing within the IUML. In 2015, she contested elections to the block panchayat and won. 'For the last nine years, I have been in the national committee of the Women's League. I have never felt odd in the party. The leadership of the IUML or Women's League has never approached me as a non-Muslim person,' she said, adding that things had changed since. 'When I joined the Women's League, there were very few Muslim women in the IUML or its affiliated outfits. Now, we have several educated women in the party.' On conservative clergy and their objections to women in public places, Rajan said, 'I am only part of the IUML, I need not comment on what the clerics say. In fact, I have shared the dais with clerics too.' While the reservation of 50% seats for women in local bodies may have led the IUML to open the doors to women candidates at this level, the party has had very few women candidates for Assembly or Lok sabha elections. In the 2021 Kerala Assembly elections, the party fielded a woman candidate, advocate Noorbeena Rasheed, from the Kozhikode South constituency, for the first time in 25 years. Rasheed, however, lost the seat to a candidate of the Indian National League.
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
In a first, 2 women named to IUML national panel
Kozhikode: The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) announced its new national office bearers at the party's general council meeting held in Chennai, marking a historic moment with the inclusion of two women in the party's national committee for the first time. Jayanthi Rajan from Wayanad and Fathima Musaffer from Tamil Nadu have been appointed as assistant secretaries. The decision to appoint them reaffirms the party's commitment to advancing the roles of women and Dalits, said national general secretary P K Kunhalikutty. Jayanthi, a Dalit leader from Irulam in Wayanad, is currently the national secretary of the Women's League and has previously served as a member of the Panamaram block panchayat and Poothadi grama panchayat. Fathima Musaffer is a councillor of the Chennai Corporation. The party's senior leadership remains unchanged with K M Khader Moideen continuing as national president, Panakkad Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal as chairman of the political advisory committee and P K Kunhalikutty as national general secretary. E T Mohammed Basheer continues as organising secretary, Abdul Samad Samadani MP as senior vice president, and P V Abdul Wahab as treasurer. The new committee also sees the inclusion of several younger leaders. The notable inclusions from the state to the national leadership are KPA Majeed as national vice president, Panakkad Munavvarali Shihab Thangal, Adv Harris Beeran and T A Ahmmed Kabeer as national secretaries, along with C K Subair, who retains the post of secretary. Adv Faisal Babu and M P Mohammed Koya, also from the state, have been appointed assistant secretaries of the party. At the meeting, the IUML passed a resolution expressing strong support for the Army's precise and courageous action in response to the recent cross-border attack at Pahalgam that killed innocent civilians. In another resolution, the party strongly condemned what it termed the "inhumane genocide" by Israel and Zionist forces in Gaza. It urged the UN to lead efforts to establish an independent Palestine and called for global action to end the suffering of the Palestinian people.
Time of India
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Debutants Sesa FA make final push for IWL berth
The IWL 2 final round kicks off for Sesa FA at the Duler Football Stadium in Mapusa on Friday with a clash against Garhwal United FC at 8.30am Panaji: They were not even supposed to be there in the first place but Sesa FA senior women's team is now full of belief that they can make it to the top from the second-tier of the Indian Women's League (IWL). The IWL 2 final round kicks off at the Duler Football Stadium in Mapusa on Friday with a clash against Garhwal United FC at 8.30am. Roots FC face Indian Arrows Juniors later in the day. 'This team is the result of belief and hard work,' said coach Severino Fernandes. 'I am glad that the team is carrying forward their rich vein of form from the state league. They have demonstrated a level of commitment and maturity that belies their (IWL2) debut status. As we prepare to host the playoffs, we are taking care of every detail. Operation Sindoor Operation Sindoor: Several airports in India closed - check full list Did Pak shoot down Indian jets? What MEA said India foils Pakistan's attack on Jammu airport: What we know so far Our preparations include high-intensity drills, match simulations, detailed opposition analysis and focused recovery sessions. ' Sesa entered the competition only due to a last-minute withdrawal and are now out to prove that they belong to the upper echelons of women's football in India. The first-time winners of the Women's League in Goa are brimming with confidence and self-belief. In the qualifiers, Sesa topped group C with an unbeaten record, which included two wins and two draws. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Her body cannot endure this level of pain; please help her. Donate For Health Learn More Undo The opponents though will be far stronger in the final round as they aim to finish among the top two with Garhwal United FC (Delhi), Roots FC (Bengaluru), Krida Prabhodini Pune (Maharashtra) and Indian Arrows Women Juniors (AIFF developmental side) providing stiff opposition. 'The performance of our women's team is not an outlier, it's the result of ground work laid through the Women's League (in Goa), our investment in scouting and development, and a progressive footballing ecosystem that encourages young women to dream big,' said technical director Gavin Araujo. 'This group of players has shown what's possible when talent meets opportunity. They've put in the hours, they've faced tough battles on the field, and now they're poised to compete at the highest level. Hosting the playoffs is a proud moment for all of us, and we're confident the girls will rise to the occasion,' he added. Though football remains a team sport, individual efforts at Sesa cannot be discounted. There's Pushpa Parab, who is leading from the front, while Sushmita is a fine midfielder. Goalkeeper Ria Rajesh has also provided a good account of herself.
