Indian Women’s League 2024-25 Season Begins
The Indian Women’s League (IWL) is set to start its second season in the home-and-away format on January 10, 2025. This season, the league expands to include eight teams, with Sreebhumi FC from West Bengal and NITA Football Academy from Odisha joining as new entrants. The opening day will feature a double-header with defending champions Odisha FC playing against East Bengal FC at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar, and Gokulam Kerala FC facing Sreebhumi FC at Payyanad Stadium, Manjeri.
India’s Exit from SAFF Women’s Championship
India was eliminated from the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Women’s Championship 2024 after losing to Nepal in a penalty shootout during the semi-final at Dasharath Stadium. The match ended in a 1-1 draw, leading to a tense penalty shootout. Sangita Basfore scored for India, but Nepal’s Sabitra Bhandari equalized. In the shootout, Nepal scored all their attempts, while India missed two crucial shots, resulting in their exit. The match was marked by a lengthy delay due to a disallowed goal and protests from Nepal’s team.
Doubts Revealed
Indian Women’s League -: The Indian Women’s League (IWL) is a football competition in India where women’s teams from different parts of the country play against each other. It’s like a big tournament for women’s football.
2024-25 Season -: This refers to the time period when the Indian Women’s League will take place, starting in the year 2024 and ending in 2025.
Sreebhumi FC -: Sreebhumi FC is a new football team that will be playing in the Indian Women’s League for the first time in the 2024-25 season.
NITA Football Academy -: NITA Football Academy is another new team joining the Indian Women’s League. They train players to become better at football.
Odisha FC -: Odisha FC is a football club from the Indian state of Odisha. They have a team that competes in the Indian Women’s League.
East Bengal FC -: East Bengal FC is a famous football club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. They have a women’s team that plays in the Indian Women’s League.
Gokulam Kerala FC -: Gokulam Kerala FC is a football club from Kerala, India. They have a women’s team that competes in the Indian Women’s League.
SAFF Women’s Championship -: The SAFF Women’s Championship is a football tournament for women’s national teams from South Asian countries, including India.
Penalty shootout -: A penalty shootout is a way to decide the winner of a football match when the score is tied. Players take turns trying to score goals from a set distance.
Disallowed goal -: A disallowed goal is when a goal is not counted because the referee decides there was a rule violation, like offside or a foul.