The Asian Football Confederation has granted the hosting rights of the 2022 Women’s Asian Cup to India.
The decision was taken at the AFC Women’s Football Committee meeting. In February, the AFC Women’s Football Committee had prescribed India to be hosts.
The competition will probably be held in the second half of the year and will highlight 12 teams, extended from the past opening of eight teams. India qualify straightforwardly as hosts.
The occasion will likewise fill in as the final qualification competition for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
AIFF president Praful Patel stated, “the tournament will galvanize the aspiring women players and bring in a holistic social revolution as far as women’s football in the country is concerned.”
This will be the second significant women’s competition India will host in as many years, with the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup rescheduled for February 2021.
India had additionally hosted the AFC Men’s U-16 Championships in 2016 and the FIFA Men’s U-17 World Cup in 2017.
“The tournament will play a huge role in further popularising women’s football in India. The Women’s Asian Cup 2022 comes on the back of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup India 2020 and will help us sustain, and build on the momentum gained,” AIFF General Secretary, Kushal Das said.
This is the second time India will host the competition, in the wake of doing as such in 1979, when it was held in EMS Stadium, Kozhikode. Chinese Taipei had won that edition, with India finishing runners-up.
Japan are the defending champions, while China holds the record for most successes, with eight. India have finished runners-up twice (’79 and ’83).
