After two long years of wait, the Indian Women's League (IWL) is finally back and set to kick off its main round on Friday, 15th April 2022. The qualifying round for the competition proper was held earlier this month. The top division of the women's football league in India was halted due to the Covid pandemic starting in the year 2020. It is only the fifth season of the IWL after its inception in 2016.
The main round of the tournament is scheduled to be hosted in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Games will be played across three stadiums - Capital Ground, Seventh Battalion Ground and the Kalinga Stadium. Twelve teams will participate this season with 66 games to fight for. The clubs will play in a round-robin format with each side facing the others only once. The side with the most number of points at the end of the campaign will be crowned champions.
30 of the 66 matches are to be broadcasted by the 'Eurosport India channel while games in Capital Ground and Kalinga Stadium will be live-streamed on the Indian Football official Youtube channel. Gokulam Kerala are the defending champions.
Teams :
Gokulam Kerala are favorites again to lift the trophy after a remarkable season back in 2020. They took on KRYPHSA FC in a thrilling final that ended 3-2 in their favor. The Malabarians became the first club to represent India in the AFC Women's Club Championship as a result. GKFC also stormed the Kerala Women's League by winning all of their games and scoring 99 goals without even concededing one. National team regulars like Aditi Chauhan, Ashalata Devi, Dalima Chhibber and others make them a scary opposition.
Only other past competition winner in the league this time, Sethu Madurai will throw a challenge to the other title seekers. The team from Tamil Nadu made it to the semis last time out losing to eventual winners Gokulam. The Women's team of Kickstart FC from Bangalore are also a strong group to compete for this season's prize.
Two teams from the hosts Odisha, Sports Odisha and Odisha Police, will represent in the league. This time the Indian arrows development team will participate in the contest. Young and rising stars of Indian women's football are part of the group.
ARA FC qualified for the main round by beating YWC 4-3 in a pulsating final match of the qualifiers. The side from Gujarat needed a win to secure a spot and they did so while maintaining their winning streak. SSB Women's FC from Kolkata defeated South Samity in the final of the Kanyashree Cup to qualify for the main round. Other teams who emerged winners from their state competition are PIFA Sports FC (Maharastha), Hans Women (Delhi), Mata Rukmani Girls (Chattisgarh) and Sirvodem Sporting (Goa).
Fixtures :
April 15:
PIFA Sports FC vs Kickstart FC, 4 PM, Capital Ground
SSB Women FC vs Hans Women FC, 4 PM, 7th Battalion Ground
Indian Arrows vs Sirvodem SC, 7.30 PM, Kalinga Stadium
April 16:
Odisha Police vs Gokulam Kerala FC, 4 PM, Capital Ground
Sethu Madurai vs Mata Rukmani FC, 4 PM 7th Battalion Ground
ARA FC vs Sports Odisha, 7.30 PM, Kalinga Stadium
April 19:
Hans Women FC vs PIFA Sports FC, 4 PM, Capital Ground
Sports Odisha vs Indian Arrows, 4 PM, 7th Battalion Ground
Gokulam Kerala FC vs SSB Women FC, 7.30 PM, Kalinga Stadium
April 20:
Sirvodem SC vs Kickstart FC, 4 PM, Capital Ground
Mata Rukmani FC vs Odisha Police, 4 PM, 7th Battalion Ground
Sethu Madurai vs ARA FC, 7.30 PM, Kalinga Stadium
April 23:
Hans Women FC vs Gokulam Kerala FC, 4 PM, Capital Ground
PIFA Sports FC vs Sirvodem SC, 4 PM, 7th Battalion Ground
Kickstart FC vs Sports Odisha, 7.30 PM, Kalinga Stadium
April 24:
SSB Women FC vs Mata Rukmani FC, 4 PM, Capital Ground
Odisha Police vs ARA FC, 4 PM, 7th Battalion Ground
Indian Arrows vs Sethu Madurai, 7.30 PM, Kalinga Stadium
April 27:
Odisha Police vs Indian Arrows, 4 PM, Capital Ground
Sports Odisha vs Sirvodem SC, 4 PM, 7th Battalion Ground
Mata Rukmani FC vs Hans Women FC, 7.30 PM, Kalinga Stadium
April 28:
Sethu Madurai vs Kickstart FC, 4 PM, Capital Ground
ARA FC vs SSB Women FC, 4 PM, 7th Battalion Ground
Gokulam Kerala FC vs PIFA Sports FC, 7.30 PM, Kalinga Stadium
May 1:
Gokulam Kerala FC vs Mata Rukmani FC, 4 PM, Capital Ground
SSB Women FC vs Indian Arrows, 4 PM, 7th Battalion Ground
PIFA Sports FC vs Sports Odisha, 7.30 PM, Kalinga Stadium
May 2:
Hans Women FC vs ARA FC, 4 PM, Capital Ground
Kickstart FC vs Odisha Police, 4 PM, 7th Battalion Ground
Sirvodem SC vs Sethu Madurai, 7.30 PM, Kalinga Stadium
May 5:
Sethu Madurai vs Sports Odisha, 4 PM, Capital Ground
Mata Rukmani FC vs PIFA Sports FC, 4 PM, 7th Battalion Ground
ARA FC vs Gokulam Kerala FC, 7.30 PM, Kalinga Stadium
May 6:
Odisha Police vs Sirvodem SC, 4 PM, Capital Ground
Indian Arrows vs Hans Women FC, 4 PM, 7th Battalion Ground
SSB Women FC vs Kickstart FC, 7.30 PM, Kalinga Stadium
May 9:
Mata Rukmani FC vs ARA FC, 4 PM, Capital Ground
PIFA Sports FC vs Sethu Madurai, 4 PM, 7th Battalion Ground
Sports Odisha vs Odisha Police, 7.30 PM, Kalinga Stadium
May 10:
Gokulam Kerala FC vs Indian Arrows, 4 PM, Capital Ground
Sirvodem SC vs SSB Women FC, 4 PM, 7th Battalion Ground
Hans Women FC vs Kickstart FC, 7.30 PM, Kalinga Stadium
May 13:
ARA FC vs PIFA Sports FC, 4 PM, Capital Ground
Odisha Police vs Sethu Madurai, 4 PM, 7th Battalion Ground
Indian Arrows vs Mata Rukmani FC, 7.30 PM, Kalinga Stadium
May 14:
Kickstart FC vs Gokulam Kerala FC, 4 PM, Capital Ground
SSB Women FC vs Sports Odisha, 4 PM, 7th Battalion Ground
Hans Women FC vs Sirvodem SC, 7.30 PM, Kalinga Stadium
May 17:
ARA FC vs Indian Arrows, 4 PM, Capital Ground
Gokulam Kerala FC vs Sirvodem SC, 4 PM, 7th Battalion Ground
Sethu Madurai vs SSB Women FC, 7.30 PM, Kalinga Stadium
May 18:
Mata Rukmani FC vs Kickstart FC, 4 PM, Capital Ground
Sports Odisha vs Hans Women FC, 4 PM, 7th Battalion Ground
PIFA Sports FC vs Odisha Police, 7.30 PM, Kalinga Stadium
May 21:
SSB Women FC vs Odisha Police, 8.30 AM, Captial Ground
Indian Arrows vs PIFA Sports FC, 3.30 PM, Capital Ground
Kickstart FC vs ARA FC, 3.30 PM, 7th Battalion Ground
May 22:
Gokulam Kerala FC vs Sports Odisha, 8.30 AM, Capital Ground
Hans Women FC vs Sethu FC, 3.30 PM, Capital Ground
Sirvodem SC vs Mata Rukmani FC, 3.30 PM, 7th Battalion Ground
May 25:
Odisha Police vs Hans Women FC, 8.30 AM, Capital Ground
ARA FC vs Sirvodem SC, 3.30 PM, Capital Ground
PIFA Sports FC vs SSB Women FC, 3.30 PM, 7th Battalion Ground
May 26:
Mata Rukmani FC vs Sports Odisha, 8.30 AM, 7th Battalion Ground
Indian Arrows vs Kickstart FC, 3.30 PM, Capital Ground
Sethu FC vs Gokulam Kerala FC, 7.30 PM, Kalinga Stadium
