India has been recommended as the first South Asian hosts for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2022 by the AFC Women’s Football Committee which met in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

It was felt that India, who will also have the experience of hosting the FIFA Women’s Under-17 World Cup later this year, was best placed to maximise the promotion of the women’s game.

The stadiums proposed by India – D Y Patil Stadium and Trans Stadia Arena – are also being used in the FIFA tournament. India was the host of the AFC Under-16 Championships in 2016 and the FIFA Under-17 World Cup 2017 and the Committee agreed the country could continue raising the standards of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup.

Chairperson, Mahfuza Akhter Kiron said: “This is the most important and prestigious competition in women’s football in Asia. The last edition was a major step forward for the women’s game in Asia. It was played in Jordan, the first time a West Asian nation had hosted the event. Now we are looking to build on that legacy. India offers the best opportunities to build the event commercially as well as increasing the value and India is also committed to developing the women’s game in the country and while all three were strong bids, India stands out.”

Tournament Director of the Local Organising Committee of FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup India 2020, Roma Khanna said, “This is great news that India has been awarded hosting rights for the 2022 AFC Asian Women’s Cup. Hosting this major continental tournament right after the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup India 2020 shows that we are heading in the right direction as far as the development of women’s football is concerned.”

Chinese Taipei and Uzbekistan were the other competing candidates.

The Committee decided that the expanded AFC Women’s Asian Cup – eight to 12 teams – will be played in three groups of four with a minimum of 25 matches with eight teams qualifying for the newly introduced quarter-finals.

(FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup India 2020 LOC)