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{{Short description|Indian Women's professional football league}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2016}}
{{Infobox football league
| name = Indian Women's League
| logo =
| country = India
| confed = [[Asian Football Confederation|AFC]] (Asia)
| founded = 2016
| teams = 24
| preliminary round =
| qualifier round =
| levels = 1
| domestic cup =
| confed_cup = [[AFC Women's Club Championship]]
| International league = AFC Woman's Champions League
| champions = [[Gokulam Kerala FC (women)|Gokulam Kerala]] (1st title)
| most_champs = [[Eastern Sporting Union]] [[Rising Student's Club]] [[Sethu FC]] [[Gokulam Kerala FC (women)|Gokulam Kerala]] (1 time each)
| website = [https://www.the-aiff.com/competitions/iwl www.the-aiff.com/competitions/iwl/]
| current = [[2020-21 Indian Women's League season|2020-21 IWL season]]
}}

The '''Indian Women's League''' is the top division [[Women's association football|women's]] [[association football|professional football]] league in [[India]] with the first season kicking off in [[Cuttack]] in October 2016.<ref name="21April">{{cite news|last1=Puri|first1=Rohan|title=Women's football league from October|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/football/top-stories/Womens-football-league-from-October/articleshow/51922352.cms|access-date=22 April 2016|work=Times of India|date=21 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160926070630/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/football/top-stories/Womens-football-league-from-October/articleshow/51922352.cms|archive-date=26 September 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> The league is run by the [[All India Football Federation]] (AIFF).

==History==
Since 1991, the top [[Women's association football|women's]] [[association football|football]] tournament in India has been the [[Indian Women's Football Championship]]. The tournament served as a female equivalent of the [[Santosh Trophy]], with states competing against each other.<ref name="Early History">{{cite web|title=India – List of Women's Champions|url=http://www.rsssf.com/tablesi/india-womchamp.html|website=RSSSF|access-date=22 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100205054139/http://rsssf.com/tablesi/india-womchamp.html|archive-date=5 February 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> There had never been an organized national football league for women; however, leagues were started by state associations for women. The first women's state football league was set up in 1976 in Manipur. The [[Indian Football Association]] of West Bengal founded the Calcutta Women's League in 1993. Leagues were also started in Mumbai and Goa in 1998 and 1999 respectively.<ref name="Early History"/>

In 2014, after the success of the [[India women's national football team|India women's team]], mainly in the [[SAFF Women's Championship]], a push to start a women's football league, mainly along the lines of the recently started and successful [[Indian Super League]], started.<ref name="First Push">{{cite news|last1=Das|first1=Suprita|title=Now A Women's Football League?|url=http://sports.ndtv.com/football/news/236595-now-a-women-s-football-league|access-date=22 April 2016|work=NDTV Sports|date=26 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513032146/http://sports.ndtv.com/football/news/236595-now-a-women-s-football-league|archive-date=13 May 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Clubs such as [[Pune F.C.|Pune]] and [[Bengaluru FC]] had expressed interest in the joining a women's league.<ref name="First Push"/> It was around this time that the [[All India Football Federation]] started plans to create the ISL-style league for women.<ref>{{cite news|title=AIFF Plans to Start Indian Super League-Style Women's Football|url=http://sports.ndtv.com/football/news/234678-aiff-plans-to-start-indian-super-league-style-women-s-football|access-date=22 April 2016|work=NDTV Sports|date=17 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304031420/http://sports.ndtv.com/football/news/234678-aiff-plans-to-start-indian-super-league-style-women-s-football|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 21 April 2016, over a year after the AIFF started plans for a women's football league, the AIFF President, [[Praful Patel]], said that a women's football league would kick off in October 2016{{Update after|2016|10|01}} with six teams to be decided, with the goal to expand to eight teams by 2017.<ref name="21April"/> Just over two months later, on 5 July 2016, the AIFF organized a workshop to discuss the India women's national team and discuss the proposed women's football league. Five [[Indian Super League]] sides ([[Delhi Dynamos]], [[Chennaiyin FC]], [[Kerala Blasters]], [[FC Pune City]], [[Atletico de Kolkata]]) and three [[I-League]] teams ([[Bengaluru FC]], [[Aizawl FC]], [[Mumbai FC]]) attended the workshop. It was announced that the league would feature the eight teams in the league and two other spots would be determined through a pre-qualification round.<ref>{{cite news|title=AIFF conducts workshop for National Women's League|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/AIFF-conducts-workshop-for-National-Womens-League/articleshow/53062408.cms|access-date=6 July 2016|work=Times of India|date=5 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160709050934/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/AIFF-conducts-workshop-for-National-Womens-League/articleshow/53062408.cms|archive-date=9 July 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 14 October, the AIFF announced that the preliminary rounds for the Women's League would begin on 17 October 2016 in which ten teams are split into two groups of five teams each, with the winner from each group qualifying for the national finals.<ref>{{cite news|title=INDIAN WOMEN'S LEAGUE PRELIMS TO KICK-OFF ON OCT 17|url=https://www.the-aiff.com/news-center-details.htm?id=7522|access-date=14 October 2016|work=The All India Football Federation|date=14 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161019020831/https://www.the-aiff.com/news-center-details.htm?id=7522|archive-date=19 October 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Seasons==
===Season 1 (2016–17)===
{{Main|2016–17 Indian Women's League season}}
On 24 January 2017, AIFF launched the first ever women's professional league with six teams. The participating teams – FC Alakhpura (Haryana), [[Indira Gandhi AS&E|Jeppiaar Institute of Technology FC]] (Puducherry), [[Aizawl FC|Aizawl FC (Women)]] (Mizoram), [[FC Pune City (Women)|FC Pune City (women)]] (Maharashtra), [[Rising Student's Club]] (Odisha) and [[Eastern Sporting Union ]](Manipur) play each other in a round-robin format with the top four teams advancing to the semifinals. All matches of the two-week Indian Women's League (IWL) were played at Delhi's [[Ambedkar Stadium]] with the first match scheduled for Saturday, January 28.

===Season 2 (2017–18)===
{{Main|2017–18 Indian Women's League season}}
The final round of the season was played at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Shillong. [[Rising Student's Club]] from [[Odisha]] were crowned champions after beating [[Eastern Sporting Union]].

===Season 3 (2018–19)===
{{Main|2018–19 Indian Women's League season}}
Indian Women's League season 3 main round started on 5 May 2019. All matches to be played in [[Guru Nanak Stadium]], [[Ludhiana]], Punjab.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.goal.com/en-in/news/iwl-indian-womens-league-2018-19-ludhiana-punjab-may/sbtdnrytqh7a1ca20m3oqxd1c|title=Indian Women's League 2018–19 to kick off on May 5 in Ludhiana {{!}} Goal.com|website=www.goal.com|language=en|access-date=2019-04-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190413032157/https://www.goal.com/en-in/news/iwl-indian-womens-league-2018-19-ludhiana-punjab-may/sbtdnrytqh7a1ca20m3oqxd1c|archive-date=13 April 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> The 2018–19 IWL will have 12 teams, divided into two groups. The teams will play each other once and the top two teams will compete in the semi-final.Sethu FC crowned unbeaten champions

===Season 4 (2019–20)===
{{Main|2019–20 Indian Women's League season}}
Indian Women's League season 4 main round started on 24 January 2020. All matches were played in [[Bangalore Football Stadium]], [[Bangalore|Bengaluru]], Karnataka.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.the-aiff.com/article/hero-indian-womens-league-returns-scheduled-to-kick-off-from-january-24|title=Hero Indian Women's League returns, scheduled to kick-off from January 24|work=AIFF|date=9 January 2019}}</ref> The 2019–20 IWL will have 12 teams, divided into two groups. The teams would play each other once and the top two teams would compete in the semi-final. [[Gokulam Kerala FC (women)|Gokulam Kerala]] were crowned champions after beating [[KRYPHSA F.C.]] 3–2 in the final.<ref name="AIFF">{{cite news |title=Gokulam Kerala crowned new Hero IWL champions after thrilling finale |url=https://www.the-aiff.com/article/gokulam-kerala-crowned-new-hero-iwl-champions-after-thrilling-finale |access-date=15 February 2020 |work=AIFF |date=14 February 2020}}</ref>
 
{| class="wikitable"
|+All 12 Teams are as follows :
!Group A
!Group B
|-
|Baroda Football Academy
|Bangalore United FC
|-
|BBK Dav FC
|Bidesh XI FC
|-
|[[FC Kolhapur City]]
|Odisha Police FC
|-
|[[Kickstart FC (Women)|Kickstart FC]]
|Kenkre FC
|-
|[[Kryphsa F.C.|KRYPHSA]]
|[[Sreebhumi FC]]
|-
|[[Sethu FC|Sethu]]
|[[Gokulam Kerala FC (women)|Gokulam Kerala]]
|}

==Results==
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Season
!Winner
!Result
!Runner Up
!Ref.
|-
|[[2016–17 Indian Women's League final round|2016–17]]
|[[Eastern Sporting Union]]
|3–0
|[[Rising Student's Club]]
|<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/football/eastern-sporting-union-crowned-inaugural-indian-women-s-league-champions/story-eiOdpemRXwNRAPSWBCcVcN.html | title=Eastern Sporting Union crowned inaugural Indian Women's League champions | publisher=hindustantimes.com | date=14 February 2017 | access-date=10 March 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170312064526/http://www.hindustantimes.com/football/eastern-sporting-union-crowned-inaugural-indian-women-s-league-champions/story-eiOdpemRXwNRAPSWBCcVcN.html | archive-date=12 March 2017 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.espnfc.com/india/story/3060461/eastern-sporting-union-win-inaugural-indian-womens-league | title=Eastern Sporting Union win inaugural Indian Women's League | publisher=espnfc.com | date=14 February 2017 | access-date=10 March 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305192429/http://www.espnfc.com/india/story/3060461/eastern-sporting-union-win-inaugural-indian-womens-league | archive-date=5 March 2017 | url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|[[2017–18 Indian Women's League final round|2017–18]]
|[[Rising Student's Club]]
|1–1 {{aet}} {{pso|5–4}}
|[[Eastern Sporting Union]]
|
|-
|[[2018–19 Indian Women's League final round|2018–19]]
|[[Sethu FC|Sethu]]
|3–1
|[[Manipur Police Sports Club|Manipur Police SC]]
|
|-
|[[2019–20 Indian Women's League final round|2019–20]]
|[[Gokulam Kerala FC (women)|Gokulam Kerala]]
|3–2
|[[Kryphsa F.C.|KRYPHSA]]
|<ref name="AIFF"/>
|}

==Winning head coaches==
{{updated|22 May 2019}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Head Coach
!Club
!Wins
!Winning season
|-
|align="left"|{{flagicon|IND}}
|[[Eastern Sporting Union]]
|1
|[[2016–17 Indian Women's League season|2016−17]]
|-
|align="left"|{{flagicon|IND}} Sukla Dutta
|[[Rising Student's Club]]
|1
|[[2017–18 Indian Women's League season|2017−18]]
|-
|align="left"|{{flagicon|IND}} Amrutha Aravind
|[[Sethu FC]]
|1
|[[2018–19 Indian Women's League season|2018−19]]
|-
|align="left"|{{flagicon|IND}} [[Priya P.V]]
|[[Gokulam Kerala FC (women)|Gokulam Kerala]]
|1
|[[2019–20 Indian Women's League season|2019–20]]
|}

==Prizes==

===Prize money===
As updated on 14 February 2020. <ref name="AIFF"/>
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: left;"
|-
! Position !! Purse
|-
| Champions || {{INR}} 10 Lakhs
|-
| 1st Runners-up || {{INR}} 5 Lakhs
|-
| Most Valuable Player || {{INR}} 1.25 Lakhs
|-
| Top Goalscorer || {{INR}} 1 Lakh
|-
| Best Goalkeeper || {{INR}} 1 Lakh
|-
| Emerging Player || {{INR}} 75 Thousand
|}

==Stats and players==
===Top goal scorers===
{{updated|14 February 2020}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Rank
!Player
!Seasons
!Goals
|-
|1
|align="left"|{{flagicon|IND}} [[Ngangom Bala Devi]]
|2
|38
|-
|2
|align="left"|{{flagicon|NEP}} [[Sabitra Bhandari]]
|2
|31
|-
|rowspan="2"|3
|align="left"|{{flagicon|IND}} [[Nongmaithem Ratanbala Devi]]
|3
|rowspan="2"|25
|-
|align="left"|{{flagicon|IND}} [[Sandhiya Ranganathan]]
|4
|-
|5
|align="left"|{{flagicon|IND}} [[Yumnam Kamala Devi]]
|3
|22
|-
|rowspan="2"|6
|align="left"|{{flagicon|IND}} [[Dangmei Grace]]
|4
|rowspan="2"|15
|-
|align="left"|{{flagicon|IND}} [[Anju Tamang]]
|4
|-
|8
|align="left"|{{flagicon|IND}} Karishma Shirvoikar
|2
|11
|-
|rowspan="3"|9
|align="left"|{{flagicon|IND}} [[Manisha Kalyan]]
|3
|rowspan="3"|9
|-
|align="left"|{{flagicon|IND}} Irom Prameshwori Devi
|4
|-
|align="left"|{{flagicon|IND}} Kashmina M. S.
|3
|-
|12
|align="left"|{{flagicon|IND}} [[Sanju Yadav]]
|3
|8
|-
|rowspan="3"|13
|align="left"|{{flagicon|IND}} [[Sasmita Malik]]
|1
|rowspan="3"|7
|-
|align="left"|{{flagicon|IND}} [[Pyari Xaxa]]
|3
|-
|align="left"|{{flagicon|IND}} Soumya Guguloth
|1
|-
|rowspan="2"|16
|align="left"|{{flagicon|BAN}} [[Sabina Khatun]]
|1
|rowspan="2"|6
|-
|align="left"|{{flagicon|IND}} [[Jabamani Tudu]]
|3
|-
|rowspan="5"|18
|align="left"|{{flagicon|UGA}} Fazila Ikwaput
|1
|rowspan="5"|5
|-
|align="left"|{{flagicon|IND}} Heigrujam Daya Devi
|1
|-
|align="left"|{{flagicon|IND}} [[Indumathi Kathiresan]]
|3
|-
|align="left"|{{flagicon|IND}} Pradeepa Sekar
|3
|-
|align="left"|{{flagicon|IND}} [[Sumithra Kamaraj]]
|2
|-
|}

===Top scorer by season===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Season
!Player
!Club
!Goals
|-
|[[2016–17 Indian Women's League final round|2016−17]]
|align="left"|{{flagicon|IND}} [[Yumnam Kamala Devi]]
|[[Eastern Sporting Union]]
|12
|-
|[[2017–18 Indian Women's League final round|2017−18]]
|align="left"|{{flagicon|IND}} [[Ngangom Bala Devi]]
|[[Kryphsa F.C.]]
|12
|-
|[[2018–19 Indian Women's League final round|2018−19]]
|align="left"|{{flagicon|IND}} [[Ngangom Bala Devi]]
|[[Manipur Police Sports Club|Manipur Police SC]]
|26
|-
|[[2019–20 Indian Women's League final round|2019–20]]
|align="left"|{{flagicon|NEP}} [[Sabitra Bhandari]]
|[[Gokulam Kerala FC (women)|Gokulam Kerala]]
|16
|}

===Hat-trick scorer===
{{main|List of Indian Women's League hat-tricks}}
{{updated|14 February 2020}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! colspan=4 | Multiple hat-tricks scorer
|-
!scope="col"|Rank
!scope="col"|Player
!scope="col"|Hat-tricks
!scope="col"|Last hat-trick
|-
! scope="col" style="text-align:center"|1
|{{flagicon|IND}} {{sortname|Ngangom|Bala Devi}}
|style="text-align:center"|7
|20 May 2019
|-
! scope="col" style="text-align:center"|2
|{{flagicon|NEP}} {{sortname|Sabitra|Bhandari}}
|style="text-align:center"|5
|1 February 2020
|-
! scope="col" style="text-align:center"|3
|{{flagicon|IND}} {{sortname|Sandhiya|Ranganathan}}
|style="text-align:center"|4
|6 February 2020
|-
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|4
|{{flagicon|IND}} {{sortname|Nongmaithem|Ratanbala Devi}}
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|3
|12 May 2019
|-
|{{flagicon|IND}} {{sortname|Yumnam|Kamala Devi}}
|4 February 2020
|}

==See also==
* [[Sport in India]]
** [[Football in India]]
*** [[Women's football in India]]
* [[AFC Women's Club Championship]]
* [[Indian Women's Football Championship]]

==References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*[https://www.the-aiff.com/competitions/iwl Official website], the-AIFF.com {{in lang|en}}

{{Indian Women's League}}
{{Football in India}}
{{AFC women's leagues}}
{{Top level women's association football leagues around the world}}
{{Sports leagues of India}}

[[Category:Indian Women's League| ]]
[[Category:2016 establishments in India]]
[[Category:Women's football leagues in India|1]]
[[Category:Sport in India]]

Indian Women's League - Revision history

Delinker at 15:12, 25 July 2023