- The Indian Women's Football Team is coached by Crispin Chettri, who hails from the Darjeeling Hills
- He is rejoicing over the squad's 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualification
The head coach of the Indian Women's Football Team, Crispin Chettri, born in Kurseong in the Darjeeling hills, is basking in the joy of a major achievement: his team has qualified for the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 that will be held in Australia.
Speaking in an interview to the telegraph in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Crispin attributed the success to the building of a good "core group" of players who exercised regularly and harmonized well with each other on the pitch. "Our understanding of the players has actually improved our performance," he said.
India, under the leadership of Crispin, beat Thailand, who had a higher ranking, 2-1 in their final qualifying match at the Chiang Mai Stadium. This win secured India's place in the Asian Cup to be held in March 2026.
In their last qualifiers, Team India also proved to be too strong, winning against Iraq 5-0, Timor Leste 4-0, and Mongolia 13-0. A national camp was conducted in Bengaluru at the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence as part of the preparation.
Crispin advocated for a minimum of 12 teams for the Indian Women's League (IWL) from the present eight to provide a greater number of footballing opportunities to women. "More teams mean more chances for talented players to emerge," he said.
Earlier, he guided Odisha FC women to win the 2023–24 IWL season and qualified them for the first AFC Women's Champions League. Crispin plans to make few changes to the existing roster for future competitions. The AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 will also qualify for the FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil in 2027.
