Subas Humagain, Kathmandu
The seventh edition of SAFF Women’s Championship is starting this Thursday at Dashrath Stadium in Kathmandu. Seven teams from South Asia are competing, and the tournament is being held in Nepal for the third time in a row.

India, who failed to reach the final in the previous edition after winning the first five, is aiming to restore its supremacy in the region. Bangladesh, the defending champion, is aiming for a double, while the host, Nepal, is trying to break its title drought after finishing second in five of the six editions.
Before the tournament, the coaches and captains talked about their preparations with three favorites laying claim to win the title.
India’s coach, Santosh Kashyap, said the team is stronger this time because experienced players have returned. Despite this being his first assignment in women’s football, he is confident that the players understand his plan and are ready to perform well. Indian captain Ashalata Devi also said that the team is stronger than before, and they hope to do better with experienced players back.
Bangladesh’s coach, Peter Butler, mentioned that he has made changes to the team, adding young players to prepare for the future. Captain Sabina Khatun said they are well-prepared and confident under their new coach.

Nepal’s coach, Rajendra Tamang, said they had only two weeks to prepare, so he kept the old players to follow his plan. Nepal’s captain, Anjila Tumbapo Subba, expressed hope that they can win the title but was disappointed that they didn’t get to train at Dashrath Stadium before the matches.
Other teams are also preparing. Bhutan’s coach, Nicole Demain, said her young team is excited, while captain Pema Choden said their first match against Nepal will be important. Maldives coach Mohammad Nizam and captain Hawwa Hanifa said their preparation could have been better, but will try to give their best. Sri Lanka and Pakistan’s teams are also ready, with Pakistan captain Maria Khan promising a stronger performance than in the last tournament.
The teams are divided into two groups. Group A includes India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, while Group B has Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. The top two teams from each group will move on to the semi-finals.