By Chris McAsey
Australian football in India has taken another great leap with the first women’s zonal competition held alongside the national championships for men and junior boys.
Three women’s teams from eastern Indian states – the Jharkhand Crows, Odisha Swans and West Bengal Tigers – competed in a round-robin format, with Jharkhand overpowering Odisha in the Grand Final, running out winners 38 – 0.
Jharkhand Crows took the first Australian football women’s title in India.
It was the icing on the cake for ‘footy factory’ Jharkhand after their male counterparts clinched the junior and senior titles a day earlier.
The milestone women’s tournament was organised by the Australian Rules Football Association of India (ARFAI) at Centurion University Oval in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
The Odisha Swans women’s team.
ARFAI Secretary General and Head of International Relations, Sudip Chakraborty said the tournament marked another significant milestone in the journey of Australian football in India.
‘The was the the first opportunity for women to participate at inter-state level,’ he said.
‘Girls and women have been playing footy in several states for a while now, including the three states competing at the zonals.’
India A took on a Nigerian team from Centurion University in an international friendly.
The event also included an international friendly between an Indian A team picked from the three states against the Centurion University Nigerian team, which India A won quite convincingly.
All the women’s games were live streamed through the Centurion University YouTube page.
Inaugural Women’s East Zone Championship 2025 – Awards List
Best Mark: Sunia Soren, Odisha Swan
Best Goal: Alomani Tigga, Jharkhand Crows
Best Defender: Ptatishtha Mohapatra, Odisha Swans
Player of the Tournament: Alisha Tigga, Jharkhand Crows
Claridge Fair Play Award: West Bengal Tigers
