One of the finest defenders of the Indian women’s football team, Ashalata Devi, believes the dream to represent her nation in the FIFA Women’s World Cup is alive with the kind of progress the junior and senior teams have showcased in the recent AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Women’s Championships. The year 2026 is expected to be a defining season for Indian women’s football.
Speaking to PTI Videos, Ashalata said, “Our dream of the World Cup is still alive. We still have to work even harder at this time. Under-17, Under-20 and the senior team have already qualified for AFC (competitions). If we do well there, obviously our dream of the World Cup is still alive.”
With over 100 international caps and experience as the captain of the national women’s football team, Ashalata thinks that the national senior squad has progressed but is yet to reach the world-class standards and has high hopes of the team going into the World Cup qualification.
“We have been doing better for a long time, but still according to world-class levels, we are not there yet. Still, we are trying a lot. I have so much faith in the players. Their passion, hard work and dedication — they have been working for so many years. I really hope this time we qualify for the World Cup and do better for Indian women’s football,” she added.
Ashalata’s contribution to Indian football
Beyond her professional career, Ashalata Devi has been contributing to the Indian football industry through her Ashalata Devi Football Festival (ADFF), an initiative which was started in Imphal by her and former Indian footballer Aditi Chauhan. The festival is aimed at providing a platform for the young Indian players to keep a balance between football as well as education.
Ashalata said, “I never knew what I would do after retirement other than football. I still feel connected to football and I wanted to do something for it. When I was young, I couldn’t manage football and school together because there was no academy near my house. I don’t want the next generation to face what I struggled with.”
The initiative started by Ashalata, who has given quite a number of achievements and provided much recognition to the sport, has got a good setup with football training merging with education.
“I planned for around 50 players, but almost 47–48 kids came. I never expected such a response, and I’m really happy,” she concluded.
(Inputs sourced from Sportstar)
