AIFF records 138 per cent rise in registration of female players in last two years

Indian ladies’s soccer has recorded an enormous surge in participant registration over the last two years, suggesting the expansion and improvement of the game in female athletes. As said in the All India Football Federation (AIFF), ladies participant registration has elevated by 138 per cent as of March 2024 with India now having 27,936 registered female footballers. 

As per the info, Indian soccer had 11,724 female players registered in June 2022, which reveals a rise of greater than double registered players in this era. AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey has attributed the rise of ladies players registration to a slew of measures together with “course correction that was brought in for the Indian Women’s League (IWL)” in the season of 2023-24.

“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 women’s football in India. Availability of live broadcast has indeed helped in enhancing the profile of the sport,” Chaubey mentioned.

In the 2022-23 season of the IWL, solely a single venue in Ahmedabad hosted the video games of 16 groups. Gokulam Kerala FC gained the third consecutive title that point. But this time in the 2023-24 season, the video games had been held in residence and away format, which succeeded properly. 

Notably, there are additionally 24 lively State Leagues in India for ladies’s soccer which has helped the federation to showcase the game among the many lots. 

“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 the 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,” Chaubey mentioned and added, “Women’s football will have priority focus in the coming years.”