Women's football in India has potential, needs involvement: Aditi Chauhan

New Delhi: The only Indian to have played women's club football in England, national team custodian Aditi Chauhan feels a structured league here for players can make a lot of difference.

Having played with West Ham United Ladies, she says there is a lot of difference between clubs managed in England and in India.

"England has a long history of women's football, and hence, the whole setup is very structured. There are a lot of leagues and cup games throughout the season, different leagues for different levels of football. No matter what level you play at, you can play football either professionally or just for recreation," she says.

"When you play football throughout the year and there is a structured league for players to progress, it makes a lot of difference. In addition to this, there has been a lot of investment in the game and the results are visible," she said in an interview to The Equatorial Line magazine.

Chauhan feels there are exciting days ahead for women's football in India which, she says, is going through a transition.

"Women's coach education has become a big focus for AIFF and at the grassroots level. On top of that, the AIFF Women's League is the one which we are waiting for."

Though she feels there is a lot of potential in women's football in India, she says there isn’t that much of involvement.

"The planned AIFF Women's League will help it grow commercially and interest the corporate world. We need to have sponsors," she says.

Though she loves outdoor sports, Chauhan says her inner self told her 'this was for me' the first day she played football. She also says she enjoys football as it a contact sport.