Women's SAFF Cup: India are champions!

The final of the first-ever Women's SAFF Cup (South Asian Football Federation Championships) played earlier today was a close affair at Cox's Bazar Stadium in Bangladesh with tournament favourites India beating neighbours Nepal by only a goal. With this win India lifted the first-ever Women's SAFF Cup title.

And once more India won a women's football final on Bangladeshi soil against Nepal. Earlier this year the same two sides had faced each other in the final of the South Asian Games football tournament in Dhaka, which India won 3-1 to win the first ever women's football gold medal.

The match was a close affair with the Nepali women often matching their more experienced Indian rivals. It remained goalless after a tense first session, but then midfielder Sasmita Mallick would score in the 65th minute which would remain the only goal of the final. And after the final whistle was blown it was party time for the Indian women.

The Indian Women's national team has had a great run throughout the tournament. In the group stage India had walked through their Group A with an 18-0 hammering of minnows Bhutan, then a 7-0 trashing of Sri Lanka and in the final group game a 6-0 win against hosts Bangladesh. Then an 8-0 followed against archrivals Pakistan in the semifinals before the 1-0 final victory against Nepal. This means our Indian women scored 40 goals and conceded none in their five games, a really impressive piece of statistic.

My congratulations to the Indian Women's team, coaches and support staff!!!