Yogyakarta (Indonesia), Jan 13 (UNI) The Indian women’s futsal squad arrived here on Monday, which shares a strong cultural bondage with India.
The name of Yogyakarta, it is said, is taken from the city of Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Rama.
The team, however, is not here on a cultural mission but to face the challenges in the AFC Women’s Futsal Asian Cup Qualifiers 2025, which will begin on Wednesday.
It is set to be a historic occasion in Indian futsal, as never before have an Indian women’s team played in an international tournament.
As the flight carrying the Indian team touched down at the Yogyakarta airport at 6 pm local time, the scene outside was truly picturesque. The sun hung low, casting its golden light over the sea making it more than beautiful. A warm welcome awaited the Indian team at the airport and the team bus left for the hotel keeping the breathtaking sunset and rainbow display behind them.
The girls experienced a journey full of excitement — from Ahmedabad to Yogyakarta. After a flight to Bangkok in the early hours, a midday arrival in Jakarta, and finally reaching Yogyakarta, their adventure continued with a 55 km bus ride to the hotel.
The excitement notwithstanding, the head coach Joshuah Vaz knows there is a tough task ahead.
“The girls will not allow it to reflect in their faces, but they surely have a few butterflies in their stomachs before their first international tournament. But it is our job to keep them together so that they perform well. Some girls do have the experience of playing football, and that too not at the international level,” he pointed out.
“We cannot crumble under pressure. We need to embrace it because pressure is something that we need to work under as we are representing the country,” Vaz said on arrival. The confidence and conviction in his voice was not to be missed.
The 14-member squad was selected after a two-phase camp in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, that started on November 25, 2024. This is the first time the Indian women’s futsal team will make an appearance in the AFC Women’s Futsal Asian Cup 2025 Qualifiers. India have been drawn in Group B, where they will face Hong Kong (January 15), Indonesia (January 17) and hosts Indonesia (January 19).
“From day one, I have been preparing the girls mentally, telling them it’s not going to be easy. Everyone knows how different the conditions here are….the travel, the weather. But in the end, when we wear this batch on our chest; we are representing the whole nation,” Vaz said.
“I think that girls are prepared. They will play their first international match the day after, so there will be nervousness in the first five minutes. But I told them I would only accept the first five minutes and after that, you need to be mentally strong if you want to play at this level,” he said.
“I am very excited to be here in Yogyakarta. We had good preparation in the camps in Gujarat. I am looking forward to what they have to offer now. The coaches have done their job. We have worked hard. The girls have worked hard and I am excited to see the impact that these girls can create on the futsal structure in India. Their performance here is what is going to change and is going to shape the women’s futsal in India for the future,” the coach said.
