Indian midfielder Rivka Ramji signs for Singaporean side Lion City Sailors WT

Rivka has vice-captained the Karnataka Senior Women’s team for the past three years.

Young Indian midfielder from Karnataka, Rivka Ramji, has made a big move to Singaporean top-tier club Lion City Sailors, which is set to compete in the AFC Women’s Champions League 2025-26. The Bishan outfit has won three back-to-back Women’s Premier League Championships.

This marks a historic step as Rivka carries the legacy of Indian players like Bala Devi and Aditi Chauhan, who have previously represented top clubs abroad like West Ham United, Rangers FC, and Nasaf Qarshi.

Ahead of this historic signing, just a few months before the AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup in Thailand, we find out how Rivka Ramji can turn out to be a dominating presence in the midfield for Lion City Sailors in the AFC Women’s Champions League 2025-26.

Rivka Ramji won the KFA Best Midfielder award twice

The first woman player from Karnataka to sign with a foreign club, Rivka, has been the vice captain of the Karnataka Senior Women’s Team for the last three years. She was also part of the Indian U19 team that was jointly crowned the champions of the SAFF U19 Championship in February 2024 alongside Bangladesh.

Her professional career saw her plying her trade with Misaka United FC before joining Kemp FC. Her breakthrough moment arrived when she signed for Sethu FC in the Indian Women’s League in the 2023-24 season. However, frequent injuries reduced her game time in the Indian top flight.

A story of bouncing back

At such a young age, Rivka has been awarded the Best Midfielder by the Karnataka State Football Association twice. She was called up to the India senior women’s team, but missed the friendly against the Maldives and a large part of IWL 2024-25 due to a major ankle injury.

After her recovery, she made a comeback to the national team. But she sustained a fibula fracture in February and missed the 2025 Pink Ladies Cup in Al Hamriyah against Russia and South Korea. Her recent form with Kemp FC in the Karnataka Women’s League was impressive, and she was scouted by the Lion City Sailors Women’s Team recently.

Also Read: India’s fixtures for AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup in Thailand announced

Lion City Sailors are three-time Singaporean champions

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Lion City Sailors defeated every team in the preliminary round to qualify for the AFC Women’s Champions League 2025-26. They thrashed Jordan’s outfit Etihad before scoring three against Malaysian outfit Kelana United and Kyrgyz side Asiagoal.

They have now been drawn in a very tough group alongside the Australian side Melbourne City FC, Vietnamese side Ho Chi Minh City, and the Philippines’ Stallion Laguna. Melbourne City FC is the defending finalist of the AFC Women’s Champions League.

Lion City has achieved domestic success in the last few years, winning three championships back-to-back and standing as the runners-up five times. Ramji’s presence is set to bolster the Sailors’ midfield and will also add a young, dynamic energy to the squad.

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