Kalinga Stadium to host AFC Women’s Asian Cup India next yr        

Bhubaneswar: Kalinga Stadium in Odisha capital is among the three stadiums in the country to play host to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Asian Cup India 2022TM.

Besides Kalinga Stadium, the AFC has selected DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai and Ahmedabad’s TransStadia for the the continent’s premier women’s national team competition. The tournament will provide ultimate backdrop for some of the finest players in Asian and world women’s football, scheduled to be  held from January 20 to February 6, 2022.

AFC General Secretary Dato Windsor John said, “Women’s football in Asia is world-class, and the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) have selected exceptional venues that will deliver a true spectacle befitting the stature of the tournament.”

The AFC is grateful to the AIFF, the LOC and the three host cities for their dedication and we are confident that the tournament will serve as a catalyst to take women’s football in India, which continues to make significant strides, to even greater heights in the coming years.

   -AFC General Secretary

AIFF President and FIFA Council Member Praful Patel said, “ Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar and Navi Mumbai have put in a lot of work to upgrade their footballing infrastructure. While we have seen Navi Mumbai delivering spectacularly in 2017 for the FIFA U-17 World Cup, we are taking the game to new places with Bhubaneswar and Ahmedabad through the two women’s tournaments next year, which is really encouraging for our overall football ecosystem.”

The Qualifiers for the tournament is set to take place from September 13 to 25, 2021 in centralised venues with the draw scheduled to be held on May 27, 2021 at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.