New Delhi: Four months, 18 matches, and 10 win – this has been the graph of the Indian girls’ football group this yr. Those 18 matches covered four aggressive tournaments, where India registered 8 victories, 3 losses, and draws.

Although the group didn’t make it to the second spherical of the Olympic qualifiers, the crew has seen more highs than lows. The crew’s coach, Maymol Rocky, said ultimately, all of it got here all the way down to instilling perception inside the young group.

How Maymol Rocky Put Indian Women's Football Team on Path of Success in 4 Months 1

“First thing, I just made them accept as true with that they’re good, and we can play higher than different groups. It becomes only these ladies underestimating themselves. As we’ve got a young group of girls, it is about that. My key issue concerning football is we play attacking soccer, and I made the ladies believe in that and cause them to paintings on that,” Maymol instructed News18.Com.

In these 4 months, India misplaced to Hong Kong, Nepal, Myanmar, Uzbekistan, and Romania; however, all of these learnings and difficult paintings culminated in a three-three draw Myanmar in their final competitive suit.

Why is that unique, you could ask? India had by no means scored in opposition to a technically superior Myanmar aspect before that. In the Olympic qualifiers, they scored three times or even led in the healthy twice.

Marmol defined how the exchange in the system became tough to deal with for the women to start with, but with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) aid, it came to fruition.

“Initially, the women had a difficult time because it turned into now not pretty much football; however, loads of factors like their play, food, media interactions – a lot of factors we needed to do apart from soccer. Football, obviously, became part of it to be highlighted; however, in the back of that, loads of paintings had to be achieved, and the women desired to do it, and the credit goes to them.”

“Also, the way the federations believed in the crew and me. The Federation becomes up for anything, any exposure tour, and notices how much exposure we got within the final 4 months. So the federation believed in the girls’ crew, and if we get the identical possibilities, the destiny of the ladies will be brilliant,” Maymol stated.

If you comply with the Indian girls’ national group, you’ll have heard Maymol exclaim that her group of ladies have the lungs and health to run around for ninety mins of football and greater. And if you’ve followed the group’s video games, you will vouch for the identical.

Marmol started this group that lacked strength, and as soon as she labored enough on that, the effects confirmed their performance at the pitch.

“We have worked for extra than four months collectively and I did a whole lot of energy training with the ladies due to the fact we have been missing there. And then average the lengthy fits we performed. Like I even have stated they can play the ninety plus half-hour on any given day.”

“These girls are like 21 years vintage, but if you see their depth, you might not consider it. These performances got here because of the time the federation gave me, and I just made the ladies believe in themselves and that they worked definitely hard. I can say a lot of factors and tell them lots, but ultimately, the women have to do it.”

With women like Sanju Yadav, Ratanbala Devi, and Sangita up front, this Indian crew is speedy. Marmol said she had intensely worked on diverse kinds of play strategies and credited her team for execution at the pitch.

She stated all she required changed into the time to construct this crew and as soon as the AIFF allowed her that, she knew what she wanted for the team and how to get it out of the women.

“I had an analyst so every time we had an opponent, the analyst could determine their electricity from the fits that they had played, and I recognize what my strengths are, so anything I want to prepare myself for, I simply need to get it to the players. We might take the plan to them after which do a consultation on it and I suppose the gamers are very wise. We best need to have a session with them, and they might execute enormously.”

She talked about t stark distinction in performance stages, pace, and first-rate finishing in the first in shape she changed into in rate compared to the last.

Marmol believes that whe 3-12 months-vintage Indian Women’s League (IWL) differs from the ladies footballers’ greater video games to play. The third season of the IWL is ready to be held from May five to May 22 in Ludhiana.

Yes, it is handiest an 18-day league, taking place between 12 teams in the course of the day within the heat of Ludhiana. However, Marmol believes that just the fact that the girl’s footballers are gambling greater aggressive video games is beneficial on its very own. With the contemporary countrywide crew’s success charge, Maymol said that games will now not be a rarity for women footballers henceforth.

“First of all, the women are genuinely not sitting idle. They’ve rested, and feature joined their respective clubs, and all and sundry is gambling in Indian Women’s League (IWL). Next, what the senior group looks at is the IWL and play an extra number of fits – it may be for special teams but they may be suits. And now IWL has such a lot of teams.”

“And then we will be meeting the women soon; I do not want to say any event names; however, can be in a month, we meet them once more, and we’re preparing them. For us this 12 months now, we don’t have any listing, but definitely, the federation has informed us that they may be making plans for some exposure excursion for us.”

She stated education for the subsequent yr’s AFC qualifiers would start this year. “We will take a seat down and plan after IWL while we’ve got a few fresh faces, and again, we start making ready. Definitely, it will now not be shut because of the way the girls have accomplished this time, the federation is up for exposure and to provide us greater tournaments and matches.”

Even as Maymol admitted that the IWL desires to be a longer and greater expert, she stated that everything takes time to form structure, and IWL will.

“I can really say that when matters come up, it desires a while. This is the 1/3 version (of IWL), and for me, the fact that these women have become to play those suits is the important thing. About the establishing part, yes, the league definitely desires to be longer; however, then I can’t comment because it’s finished using every other department.”

FIFA U-17 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP

Indian women’s football hardly has a structure in location. Forget younger girls, the senior footballers do not have the right structure by which they are able to play ordinary games.

There has been a wot of inhibition about India hosting the U-17 Women’s World Cup, specifically because there’s still no right crew to field in that age group.

However, Marmol said that the scouting technique is on, and the focus could be on development in place of just triumphing matches.

“For me, the key’s growing. If these U-17 ladies play now, they may come to the senior group after years, so for me, that’s what matters. Everything takes time and the nationals are occurring and the scouting manner has started. With the World Cup coming in, it’s absolutely the biggest occasion we look ahead to, and for me, I am satisfied to be on the scouting panel. It will take time but I’m positive the women will put up an awesome show for us to observe.”