Blue Tigresses have overcome off-field chaos and crises to make this tournament and can look to their women’s cricketers for hope
T
he Indian women’s football team’s quest for history got off to a bittersweet start in Perth on Wednesday. The players had put aside the off-field turbulence they faced in the lead-up to put up a strong fight on the field, only to concede an injury time goal and go down 1-2 to Vietnam.
Despite the result, the game was significant as a marker of how far the Blue Tigresses had come and where they could go, but also for the atmosphere they were greeted with at the Perth Rectangular Stadium.
However, the fans’ chanting and the players’ fierce display were in complete contrast to the dull, plain kits the players wore on the pitch. The team had to source makeshift uniforms locally three days out from the opening game after those sent by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) were in youth sizes.
