AIFF launches inaugural Under-17 Women’s Youth League in India

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) yesterday announced the inaugural edition of the AIFF Under-17 Women’s Youth League. The tournament will kick off on the 18th of next month at the RKM Football Academy in Narainpur, Chhattisgarh, marking a historic milestone for women’s youth club football in India. The final match will be played on the 29th of July. The fixtures for the league will be announced tomorrow.

The tournament marks the first national youth league for Under-17 women’s clubs in the country, featuring 16 teams from across India. The participating teams have been divided into four groups of four, with the top two sides from each group advancing to the quarter-finals before the competition progresses through the knockout stage.

Among the 16 participating clubs, there are five teams from the Indian Women’s League (IWL) and seven from the IWL 2. The four remaining teams are KMP Aspire FC, Zinc Football Academy, PFC Kerala, and hosts RKM Football Academy. The inaugural league marks the first opportunity for clubs across the country to field their Under-17 women’s teams in a structured national tournament. The launch of this league represents another significant step in the AIFF’s commitment to strengthening the women’s football development pathway.

Meanwhile, the RKM Football Academy in Narainpur has emerged as one of India’s leading football venues in recent years, regularly hosting AIFF national competitions across men’s and women’s football in both youth and senior categories. The venue also successfully hosted the Rajmata Jijabai Trophy last season and will now welcome another landmark competition to its growing portfolio.