Our team has grown since last year's COTIF Cup- Maymol Rocky

The national team head coach feels the Indian Women's League has been a proper platform for the players.

Indian Senior National Team Women’s Head Coach Maymol Rocky believes that the women’s National Team players stay aware how hard they need to work in order to prepare for the COTIF Cup, and the AFC Women’s Championship Qualifiers.

Maymol will be in charge in the forthcoming preparatory camp in the Capital which kicks-off on July 1.

“We will play the COTIF Cup after our camp in Delhi, and that will further help us function better as a team. The quality of the teams in the COTIF Cup is really top-notch, and that is something that will help us strengthen our team,” Maymol mentioned in an interview with AIFF Media. The COTIF Cup exposure has been planned by AIFF in association with the Sports Authority of India.

The COTIF Cup is a tournament held in Spain, and the coach believes playing matches against stronger sides will “toughen” the team prepare ahead of the AFC Qualifiers.

“Last season we had some Spanish clubs in the COTIF Cup. It was really difficult to play against them. If we can stand our ground against them this season, I feel we can do very well in the AFC Qualifiers,” Rocky maintained. “Last time we lost all our matches. But I think our team has grown since then.”

‘HERO IWL A PLATFORM FOR INDIAN PLAYERS’

While most of the National team regulars have been named by Maymol in the squad there are some new faces, players who have made it on the back of their performances in the recently-concluded Hero Indian Women’s League.

The likes of goalkeeper Crystal Ann Pinto, defender Samiksha, midfielder Ritu, and striker Anushka Samuel have all shown their mettle in India’s top division Women’s League, and now find themselves in the National Camp.

“I’d like to thank the AIFF for the manner the IWL has been of great help for the players. They had around a four-month gap between the Olympic Qualifiers, and now,” Rocky informed.

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“They played a competitive league in between, and that really helped the players to be in top shape,” she continued. “The plus point is that we were able to add a few more players to the National team fold on the basis of their performance in the League.”

“The attention on women’s football has really grown in the last few years. The clubs took good care of the players so that they could perform at the highest level without any hindrances. The Hero IWL has now become a good platform for the players to showcase their talent, and knock at the National team doors.”