Picture Credit: Twitter
India will join the USA, Morocco and Brazil in Group A of the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. The World Cup draw took place in Zurich on Friday. The tournament will have 16 countries, including India who will host the event. The teams will be divided into four groups with four countries in each group.
The other teams qualified for the tournament are China, Japan, New Zealand, USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Germany, Spain, France, Morocco, Nigeria and Tanzania. The tournament will start on 11 October, with the final taking place on 30 October. The Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa and DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai will host all the matches. Navi Mumbai will host the final, while the semi-finals will be played in Goa.
India women’s team captain Bala Devi had talked about the importance of the tournament, especially for the growth of football in the country. She said, "Earlier, we didn't see many girls play football. Now, the numbers have gone up significantly.
"In the FIFA U-17 World Cup, more girls from various countries will come to India and our girls will get an opportunity to rub shoulders with the world's best. That will help change the overall mindset," the Rangers Women FC forward said.
"It will make India shine brighter. All the boys who played in FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2017, are competing in the top-tier league now. I believe it will be a great opportunity for our girls to get noticed internationally, let alone in India," she continued.
She then talked about how the tournament will help football be accepted in the country. She said, "I used to play with the local boys initially. Many people started talking about my playing and started criticising me. My father was a footballer and he used to motivate me always. Even today, he is my go-to person for any kind of football query, however silly it may be."
“He taught me to think about football 24/7 and even sleep with a ball in the bed. Sometimes, I even kicked in the middle of sleep and that's how the passion grew within me. I would request all the parents to encourage and back their children so they can attain their dream," Bala Devi added.