National Games Gold Medal: The Indian senior women’s football team has kicked off its first national camp under new head coach Crispin Chettri in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, as they prepare for the Pink Ladies Cup, a friendly tournament to be held from 20-26 February in Sharjah, UAE.
The tournament will serve as an important test for the squad ahead of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers, India’s biggest challenge this year.
A former youth international, Crispin brings four years of experience of coaching women’s football, honing some of the country’s best players and winning silverware. The 50-year-old’s key achievements include leading Odisha FC, his current club, to their first Indian Women’s League and the Odisha Women’s League title, winning the National Games Gold Medal with Odisha, as well as finishing runners-up in the IWL with Sethu FC.
With the Juggernauts, Crispin made history by qualifying for the group stage of the AFC Women’s Champions League earlier this season, the first for an Indian club.
“It’s a pinnacle moment for me as a coach. Being head coach of the national team is something we all work towards. I’m thrilled to be part of this journey and see Indian women’s football grow,” Chettri said in an interview with AIFF.com.
Chettri is optimistic about the camp’s composition, which includes a mix of experienced veterans and promising young players.
For the national team jersey, I think every woman player, whoever is playing all over India, even if it’s the college level, deserves a chance. It’s not necessary that the IWL players are good enough. There are talents everywhere. In the Women’s National Team, I want to give opportunity to all the players who are giving their hearts out for the love of the game. So I want to try them out. This time, I have invited two, three players from Tamil Nadu (Priyadarshini S), Assam (Rupali Boro) and Uttarakhand (Anjana Thapa), who have been scouted by our federation scouts. I’m in close contact with the scouts,” Chettri said.
Chettri’s familiarity with Indian women’s football is proving invaluable. Having coached stars like Bala Devi, Indumathi Kathiresan, Ashalata Devi, and Aditi Chauhan, he understands the transition phase Indian football is undergoing.
“I think now it’s the time for me as a coach to suffer, we as a federation to suffer, as a football-loving nation to suffer because we have to have a transition period right now. Because if you want to go to the highest level and play regularly in the Asian Cup or be part of the World Cup in the future, we have to have a transition phase where not many people are going to like me or the federation. But we have to have those tough decisions,” he remarked.
The current squad boasts experienced names like Sweety Devi, Sanju, Panthoi Chanu, and Shreya Hooda, alongside emerging talents such as Lynda Kom, Thoibisana Chanu, Kajol Dsouza, and Babina Devi.
India’s first assignment under Chettri will be the Pink Ladies Cup, where they will face Jordan, Russia, and Korea Republic. These matches will be crucial in assessing India’s readiness for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers later this year.
“To be the best, you have to play with the best. You have to understand how the best people work, how professional they are. Just for context, I (Odisha FC) played against Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan) in the AFC Women’s Champions League this season. I got to know what football is about. They are so professional, not only on the field, but off the field also. The attitude of the players. So there was a lot of learning for me there. And now when we are playing teams like Korea and Russia, we’ll get game time against some of the best,” he remarked.
India’s opening match against Jordan is particularly important, as they have previously beaten the West Asian side. Chettri sees this as a golden opportunity to set the tone for the tournament.
“Jordan are a team that you can beat if you have a good day. But they can also beat us if they have a good day. We can show a lot of quality in these kinds of matches. We are preparing for Jordan already. I know how they play. We shouldn’t look at the FIFA Rankings. There isn’t much difference in quality and we can beat them with the right mindset.
“We have to build that winning culture, that mentality. That’s my priority right now. We have to give our 100 per cent on the field in every situation. Even when we lose the ball or concede the goal, we need to keep a positive attitude,” he said.
The AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers will follow a centralised format, meaning all matches will be played in one location over a tight schedule. Chettri believes the Pink Ladies Cup will be invaluable preparation for this challenge.
“We have to build that winning culture, that mentality. That’s my priority right now. We have to give our 100 per cent on the field in every situation. Even when we lose the ball or concede the goal, we need to keep a positive attitude,” he said.
Article Source: IANS