India last played the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in 2003 and will feature in the tournament after a 20-year gap. Even though the eves qualified by virtue of being the hosts, there will be a huge responsibility on them to shine in the blue jerseys. Aditi Chauhan, a regular in the Indian setup and the first Women’s player to feature for a Premier League club, having represented West Ham United Women, feels that the AFC Asian Cup will provide the perfect platform to showcase their talents and set the tone for women’s football in India.

“I think it’s a great opportunity… a great platform for us to showcase our potential. Hosting the competition is a step in the right direction and now, it’s up to us to make the best of the investment and the opportunity. As players of the national team, we now have a huge responsibility on our shoulders to define the future of women’s football in India,” said Aditi Chauhan, as reported by indianexpress.com.

“I think the competition will play an important role in terms of getting more attention towards women’s football… by getting more supporters, and by attracting more eyeballs from the various stakeholders within the industry,” added the footballer.

Indian women’s football has been on the rise in the past few years, with them winning the gold medals each at the South Asian Games and the SAFF Championships last year. Inspiring performances against Vietnam and Uzbekistan also add to cause for the 55th ranked team in the world.