Ahead of the 10th Indian Women’s League (IWL) season, Sulanjana Raul, Baby Lalchhandami, Malavika P and Aruna Bag share their views on fan support, opportunities and the future of women’s football.
Kolkata, November 12: Every new season brings a different set of expectations, ambitions and challenges. But as the 10th edition of the Indian Women’s League (IWL) gets ready to kick off on November 13, four players from four different clubs offered their perspectives on that journey. Their conversations were not limited to title ambitions or preparations for another season. They spoke about the people watching from the stands, the girls hoping to follow their footsteps, the environment inside a dressing room and the support required to take the game forward.
In conversations ahead of the new season, Sulanjana Raul of East Bengal Women’s, Baby Lalchhandami of Gokulam Kerala WFC, Malavika P of Sethu WFC and Aruna Bag of Kickstart WFC shared perspectives shaped by their respective journeys. Their objectives on the pitch might be similar, but their thoughts reflect different experiences of a league that continues to evolve.
For the defending champions East Bengal’s Sulanjana Raul, the recent journey has been about more than just collecting silverware. Having won the IWL in the previous two seasons and now reaching the quarter-finals of the AFC Women’s Champions League, East Bengal Women have become one of the prominent representatives of Indian club football on the continental stage.
Sulanjana believes the achievement carries significance beyond the club. “It’s not just for East Bengal, it’s a very proud moment for the whole of India,” she said.
But what stood out in her interaction was her observation about the changing relationship between women’s footballers and supporters. She feels the growing presence of fans at matches has made a genuine difference to the players.
“The fans of the club are huge. They are coming to watch the match. They are supporting us so much. It wasn’t like this before. It’s happening now. It will continue to grow.“
For a player, knowing that supporters understand the level at which the team competes and comes to watch them is a different kind of motivation. Sulanjana believes this culture of support is only going to grow further, also she explained about the unfair things if players and coaches need to ask for huge crowd of fans when the team continuously delivering top performance it’s become occurred for the team, so the twelfth man should stand all the time.
Baby Lalchhandami’s message goes beyond the immediate demands of the upcoming season. The Gokulam Kerala player wants young girls who dream of becoming footballers to believe in themselves, particularly when they encounter discouragement.
“There will be days when it will be hard. There will be people who will tell you that football is not for women. You should not take up football as a career. But I think you should not listen to them,” she said.
Her message was simple but powerful: “If I can be here, you can be here too.“
Having represented one of the most successful clubs in the history of the IWL, Baby Lalchhandami also spoke about the responsibility of clubs in taking Indian women’s football forward. She believes the league can become stronger if clubs invest more in young Indian players and work together towards a common goal.
“If all the clubs invest in young Indian players, I think the IWL level will go up. If the IWL level goes up, then Indian football will go up,” she explained.
Interestingly, her thoughts also extended to something that often goes unnoticed in competitive football, the atmosphere inside the dressing room.
With only 11 players making the starting line-up from a squad of around 23–25, competition for places can sometimes create tension between teammates. Baby Lalchhandami believes maintaining a healthy environment and enjoying the game are equally important.
“We don’t talk about having fun in the game much. In the team, especially in the dressing room right now, I feel like we talk about having fun and keeping a healthy environment between each other.“
For her, building a successful team is not just about winning matches but also about maintaining the right environment within the group.
For Sethu FC’s Malavika P, the number of words were less, but the meaning and her message touched upon an important aspect of women’s football, the need for a platform that allows players to grow.
She acknowledged the support coming into the league and how it can create better opportunities for players.
“For every player, it is very important that this is a good platform. Now it is Capri Sports and Lxme supporting us. With them, we are growing,” she said.
With the new season beginning, Malavika also expressed her excitement and eagerness to get started. “We are really excited. We are looking forward to the season.”
Her words reflect the importance of sustained support around the competition, where players need not only opportunities to compete but also an environment that recognises their efforts.
While the other players spoke about the wider picture of women’s football, Kickstart FC’s Aruna Bag kept her attention to the immediate task.
For her, the approach is straightforward, prepare well, remain focused and avoid looking too far ahead.
“As a team, we are prepared and focused. We are moving forward without making any mistakes. We will play one match at a time,” she said.
It is a simple philosophy, but one that captures the mindset required for a long league campaign, where consistency can be just as important as ambition.
Different journeys, one common ambition!
From Sulanjana Raul’s pride in the growing support for women’s football to Baby Lalchhandami’s message of self-belief, from Malavika P’s emphasis on having a supportive platform to Aruna Bag’s match-by-match approach, these four interactions offer different perspectives on the same game.
The 10th edition of the IWL arrives at a time when Indian women’s football is receiving greater attention, with clubs making their presence felt beyond domestic competitions and players beginning to experience a wider platform.
The challenges remain, and the journey towards a stronger football structure is far from complete. But perhaps the most encouraging sign is that players are no longer speaking only about winning their next match or lifting the trophy. They are also talking about recognition, opportunity, investment, teamwork and the future of the game.
As the new season begins, these are four different voices, but they all have a place in the bigger story of Indian women’s football.
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