“The World Cup will have huge impact over India” said Ms. Belinda Wilson, FIFA Women’s Football Regional Consultant

by Rounak Majumdar September 27, 2019

“The U17 World Cup will have a huge impact over India” said FIFA Women’s Football Regional Consultant Ms. Belinda Wilson.

She feels that the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup India 2020 will not only galvanize the interests of the women but engage the whole country. “ The World Cup will galvanize the whole country, not just on the women’s game, but also on the men’s.” she quoted.

Ms. Belinda Wilson believes that Women’s football in India has improved a lot over the past decade. With the recent investments coming into place, the game is becoming a better product. “I can see there is investment being made at the senior and youth level. Over the last 10 years, there is a level of consistency achieved in regards to involvement in youth and senior competitions. I hope to see more role models come to light, who will inspire future generations.” quoted Ms. Wilson.

She affirmed that the upcoming age group showpiece for women will have a huge impact in the country. “The World Cup will have a huge impact in the country, not just on the women’s game but also on the men’s. You saw what happened when India hosted the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017, and how much it changed the demographics, and direction. I expect the same for the coming World Cup as well. You’ll see that the host cities will galvanize from within and the rest of the states will follow.”

She further quoted, “One should utilize the Women’s World Cup that recently took place in France. From a global perspective, it was able to enhance a huge movement in regards to women’s football, both on and off the field. I think that’s the legacy of what a World Cup can achieve. India have the ability to follow suit with the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup next year. It can galvanize the whole country to do the same and inspire future generations to become a part of the game.”

On being asked about the initiative the federation has taken to uplift the grassroots development in the country, Ms. Wilson believes that the Golden Baby League is a fantastic programme that has been initiated in India.

“I always say that the most important thing is that we start at the grassroots level, from U-6 to U-12 age groups. If you can develop a passion for the game at that age group, then it will carry over to the youth leagues, and contribute in bridging the gap. It will impact not only the football being played but also coach education and will see more women getting involved in coaching.” concluded Ms Wilson.

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