Hero IWL 2021-22 to commence from 15th of April

Hero IWL will begin on 15^th April, 2022 in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha.

Hero IWL will consist of 12 teams that will compete for the title. Gokulam Kerala Fc – the defending champions will also be a part of the forthcoming league.

Teams Participating

• Gokulam Kerala FC – Kerala
• Odisha Police – Odisha
• Hans Women FC – Delhi
• Kickstart FC – Karnataka
• Sethu Madurai – Tamil Nadu
• PIFA Sports Colaba FC – Maharashtra
• Mata Rukmani FC – Chhattisgarh
• Sirvodem Sports Club – Goa
• Indian Arrows – AIFF’s Developmental Team
• SSB Women FC – West Bengal
• Sports Odisha – Odisha
• One team from the Hero IWL qualifiers

Format

The Hero IWL qualifiers start from 1^st April and go on till 5^th April

The 4 teams participating in the qualifiers are – Guwahati City FC, Golazo FC, ARA FC, and YWC. The qualifiers will be played in a round robin format, in the Ambedkar Stadium, New Delhi.

One of these teams will join the above mentioned 11 teams and compete for the Hero IWL title.

The 12 teams will play 11 matches each for the championship prize.

The matches will be played in a league format. Team with the most points will be crowned champions.

Winner of Hero IWL would go on to play the AFC Women’s Club Championship.

The league starting from 15^th April will last till 26^th May.

Stadiums:

Kalinga Stadium

the Seventh Battalion Ground

Capital Ground

“It’s great that we are being able to have the Hero IWL once again, and that too in Odisha, a state that has so closely been linked with Indian football over the past,” said AIFF Leagues and Development CEO Mr Sunando Dhar.

The CEO also added that:

“We will have the Hero IWL in a league format this time, which will allow the clubs to play more number of matches, and the champions teams from all the states will be fighting it out for the top prize.”

“We will also have the qualifiers for the Hero IWL in New Delhi, and that will further help the other teams from other states get the opportunity to participate in the league as well,” he further stated. “We wish the all the clubs the very best in their endeavours.”

It’s going to be a fascinating watch as the teams battle it out for the biggest prize in Indian Women’s Football.

Also read: https://www.sportstrumpet.com/india-u-18-girls-are-the-new-saff-u-18-championship-winners/