Mumbai wiped off from top-tier women's football

Over the last two seasons, the Indian Women's League (IWL) has seen an expanded format with more teams, a longer calendar and new clubs entering the professional space in women's football.

- Saumya Jain

MUMBAI:

Mumbai, however, stares at a large void.

No team from India's "maximum city" featured in the IWL 2024-25 season or the previous one. Reasons, according to those associated with women's game, range from systemic barriers, administrative apathy and lack of planning in the development of women's football.

Anjali Shah, owner of Premier India Football Academy (PIFA) and chairperson of women's football in the Mumbai Football Association (MFA), does not mince her words. "I lay the blame squarely on the associations," she said. "There's no seriousness or fairness."

Despite fielding over 105 girls across four teams—U-14, U-17, Women's Super and Elite divisions—PIFA couldn't make it to top-tier IWL this year. According to Shah, the qualification process was opaque.

"There was no clear pathway," she said. "Two teams were simply recommended for IWL based on last year's standings. No inter-district tournaments or trials were held."

While previous IWL editions featured teams like Mumbai Knights, PIFA Sports Colaba and Kenkre FC women who even made the semi-finals in 2019-20, the last two years have seen a noticeable absence.

Poor planning also continues to plague women's tournaments in Mumbai. Matches are often scheduled during monsoon seasons, played on flooded astroturf grounds, or squeezed at 3 pm in 40-degree heat because women's leagues get the last slots for ground bookings. "It's not just inefficient, it's unfair and discriminatory," Shah said.