Key Points

The last time India qualified for the AFC U20 Women's Asian Cup was back in 2006.

The India U20 women produced some fine performances, remaining undefeated in their Group D qualification campaign, where they played Indonesia (0-0), and Turkmenistan (7-0), before defeating hosts Myanmar (1-0) in front of a capacity crowd at the Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar, a campaign where they did not concede a single goal.

The results on the pitch, however, are a direct outcome of the hard yards put in behind the scenes with sustained planning and developmental efforts over the past few years. With no shortcuts taken, India's qualification for the AFC U20 Women's Asian Cup was a direct culmination of the long-term vision and structured preparation put in place at the grassroots level.

The AIFF, in collaboration with the Sports Authority of India (SAI), has undertaken several initiatives to strengthen the grassroots and youth structures in women's football.

One such initiative is the ASMITA Women's Football Leagues, which witnessed the successful conduct of 155 leagues across the country from 2023 to 2025 at the U13, U15, and U17 levels. The 2023-24 edition saw participation from 6,305 junior players, a number that rose to 8,658 in 2024-25.

The ASMITA Football Leagues continue in the 2025-26 season as well, with the U13 ASMITA Football Leagues 2025-26, which began last month. The U13 leagues will see 50 tournaments be played across as many venues, where around 8,000 players from approximately 400 teams will compete across 26 states.

As a result of such efforts, the number of registered women footballers in India has seen a 232% increase over the past year. The U20 women have been in camp since December 2024 and have played the Pink Ladies Youth Cup in Turkiye, defeating teams like Hong Kong and Jordan.

Ahead of the AFC U20 Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers, a number of the U20 players trained with the senior team before the Young Tigresses faced Uzbekistan U20S in two friendlies in Tashkent (1-1 and 4-1). In total, the India U20 women's team trained together in the preparation camp for 135 days since December 2024.

Looking ahead, the AIFF remains fully committed to ensuring the best possible preparation for the AFC U20 Women's Asian Cup 2026, scheduled to be held in Thailand in April 2026. The Federation will work closely with all stakeholders to facilitate extended training camps and secure high-quality international exposure for the team.

The aim for the Federation is not only to make the players physically and mentally fit through training, but also to make them ready to rub shoulders against the best in Asia. Opportunities for the AIFF to arrange quality opponents to play preparatory matches are also being looked at.

- ANI