'Indian women's football is headed towards bright future': Dalima Chhibber reflects on recent surge, historic Asian Cup qualification

Given that the men’s team is struggling to put the Indian flag on the global stage, those who have only followed the Blue Tigers would hardly consider India a footballing nation. However, the sport has a long history in the country, ruling the landscape long before the rise of cricket. The platforms for the youngsters to showcase their mettle in the field of football were always there, and one among the most prominent of those is about to complete its 64th year of existence in 2025.

Subroto Cup, the inter-school tournament that promises to push the young raw talent to the professional avenues of the sport, is scheduled to begin on August 19, 2025. The tournament will feature Sub Junior Boys (U-15), Junior Girls (U-17), and Junior Boys (U-17) categories, and a total of 106 teams will compete in this year’s edition. Besides the local teams, international participation from Nepal and Sri Lanka will also be witnessed this time.

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Subroto Cup 2025 trophy launched in Delhi

The trophy for the upcoming Subroto Cup was held on Tuesday in Delhi in the presence of the Indian Air Force Air Marshal S Sivakumar and Indian footballer Dalima Chhibber.

On the sidelines of the event, defender Dalima, who last played for India in 2024, shared her thoughts on India’s historic qualification for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 in July this year, and what it says about the strength of Indian women’s football.

This is the first time that the senior Indian women’s football team has qualified for the Asian Cup on merit . They have been drawn against Japan, Vietnam and Chinese Taipei in Group C of the tournament, which will take place in March next year.

It’s a golden opportunity for India as the semi-finalists will gain a direct entry into the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 in Brazil. The losing quarter-finalists will take part in a play-off.

‘India are going to be going in headstrong’

Dalima is confident that the Indian football team, which includes star players like Pyari Xaxa and Sangita Basfore, will enter the Asian Cup 2026 to qualify for the World Cup.

“It means everything to us because we have qualified in our caliber on our abilities. Our dream is to reach the FIFA World Cup, and of course Asian Cup is a stepping stone towards that dream, and we are looking forward. We are prepared, and we are going to be going in headstrong, physically strong,” Dalima said.

Dalima was also asked to share any advice she may have for the team, to which she said, “The only tip is going to be to keep working hard.”

However, when asked by Firstpost about giving a prediction about how India would fare in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026, she did not give a clear answer, replying, “I think we’ll talk about that once the time comes.”

No comparison between men’s, women’s team

While women’s football has made a noteworthy stride, the men’s football team, led by Sunil Chhetri, is facing a frustrating spell, being ranked 133 in the world and having only won one game in the last eight matches.

Chibber was asked to draw parallels between the two sides. To which she said, “We can’t compare the men’s team with the women’s team but I myself have been playing for the women’s football for the past 15 years.

“What we have achieved recently after 25 years of hard work, showcases the capabilities of our footballers and in what direction we are moving. We are headed towards a good future, a bright future.”