All India Football Federation (AIFF) has recorded that the number of women’s players registration increased by 138 per cent in the last two years. This indicates that the popularity of the sport has been steadily gaining momentum among young female athletes in India.
According to the AIFF Central Registration System (CRS) data, India has 27,936 registered female footballers as of March 2024. In 2022, India had 11,724 female footballers registered. Notably, this has been a massive rise in the number of female footballers in the last 21 months.
"It's a very positive trend we are witnessing in India. To have as many as 16,212 new female players in our football ecosystem is an encouraging sign that we are on the right track in our planning for the women's football in India,” said AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey.
Chaubey credited the rise to various initiatives, such as the adjustments made to the Indian Women’s League (IWL) in the 2023-24 season and the introduction of a new second-division competition IWL-2.
"Availability of live broadcast has indeed helped in enhancing the profile of the sport," he added.
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The 2022-23 season of the Indian Women’s League (IWL) was held at a single venue in Ahmedabad where 16 teams participated and Gokulam Kerala FC won their third straight title. But the 2023-2024 season format was changed to ‘home-and-away’.
Odisha FC secured their place in the 2023-24 AFC Cup group stage by winning the Super Cup 2023 title and defeating Gokulam Kerala in the play-off. This win ended Gokulam Kerala FC’s three-year dominance and earned an opportunity to represent India in the AFC continental competition. In the inaugural IWL-2, 15 clubs competed in the group stage, six of which have qualified for the final round scheduled next month in Kolkata.
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There are currently 24 active State Leagues for Women’s football in India. They also helped the national federation to populate the sport among the masses.
“These are baby steps we have taken in the last 16-18 months, having a focused approach on women’s football. The current season is a breakaway year for Indian football in many ways. We are noticing a rapid growth in the women’s football in India. Players and clubs are getting more game time due to increase in number of matches in the domestic circuit, making it increasingly competitive. Opportunity to play the AFC organised continental championship – AFC Women’s Cup – is a big motivator for India clubs today,” said Kalyan Chaubey.
Chaubey also added that women’s football will have a priority focus in the coming years.
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