India clubbed with Japan, Vietnam, and Chinese Taipei in Group C of Women's Asian Cup next year
Japan, the Women's World Cup winner in 2011, is the highest-ranked Asian team in the FIFA chart at seventh. They won the Women's Asian Cup titles in 2014 and 2018 but were denied a hat-trick after losing to eventual champions China in the semi-finals in the 2022 edition held in India inside a COVID-19 bubble.
Vietnam, ranked 37th, will be targeting a spot at the 2027 Women's World Cup after making their debut at the 2023 edition.
They topped the play-off round among losing quarterfinalists in the 2022 Women's Asian Cup in India to make it to the 2023 Women's World Cup.
Chinese Taipei, currently ranked 42nd, has won the last of their three AFC Women's Asian Cup titles in 1980, and they will also aim to qualify for the 2027 Women's World Cup.
India is currently ranked 70th in the world, the lowest in the group.
In Group A, hosts Australia were drawn alongside Korea Republic, Iran and Philippines.
Group B consists of DPR Korea, China, Bangladesh and Uzbekistan.
China is the defending champion and they will be seeking a record-extending 10th title.
The Indian women's team was forced to withdraw from its group match against Chinese Taipei at the 2022 Women's Asian Cup in Navi Mumbai after a number of players tested positive for COVID-19 even while staying inside the bio-secure bubble.
India was unable to name a minimum 13-woman squad for the match and it was considered a withdrawal, according to the competition rules. India had originally named a 23-member squad. That was after India played out a 0-0 draw in their first match against Iran.
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Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
Divya Deshmukh's victory showcases the depth of women's chess in India
Indian chess had a breakthrough moment on Monday when Divya Deshmukh defeated veteran compatriot Koneru Humpy in the final of the FIDE Women's World Cup in Batumi, Georgia. At 38, Humpy is twice Deshmukh's age, which made the final a true clash of generations: Humpy, the original trailblazer of women's chess in India, became the country's first woman to claim the grandmaster title, while Deshmukh is the fastest comet to shoot past the skies and become a grandmaster. Her meteoric rise can be gauged from the fact that just last year, she had become the World Junior Champion in the girls' category. Thirteen months later, she's fighting for — and winning — the biggest titles on offer in the senior category. The spectacle of two Indian women fighting it out in the final of the World Cup, an event where 107 players from 46 nations competed, is special. But what makes the win even more significant is the fact that while two Indians were in the final, two Chinese players — former women's world champion Tan Zhongyi and Lei Tingjie — were fighting for third place after losing to the two Indians. China is a powerhouse of the women's event, having given the world six out of the 17 women's world champions in history. This includes the current women's world champion, Ju Wenjun, and the current World No 1, Hou Yifan. Humpy and Deshmukh defeated four of the nine Chinese players who came to Batumi. The FIDE Women's World Cup was another demonstration of India's increasing depth in the women's event. Last year, the Indian women's team, spearheaded by Deshmukh, had claimed a gold medal in the Women's Chess Olympiad, the most prestigious team event in the largely individual sport. The good news for Indian women chess is that it's not just about Deshmukh and Humpy. In Harika Dronavalli, the country has another veteran who has been around for decades now. And there are players like Vaishali Rameshbabu and Vantika Agrawal, who will be the torchbearers of women's chess for India in the coming decades. At the World Cup, besides Deshmukh and Humpy, Rameshbabu and Agrawal also made it to the quarter finals — India had the most representation at that stage. Having conquered the Olympiad and the World Cup, the next step now for the likes of Deshmukh and Humpy will be to qualify for the Women's World Championship — and to win it.
The Hindu
8 hours ago
- The Hindu
India clubbed with Japan, Vietnam and Chinese Taipei in Group C of Women's Asian Cup next year
India were on Tuesday (July 29, 2025) drawn with powerhouse Japan, former champions Chinese Taipei and Vietnam in Group C of the AFC Women's Asian Cup, the continent's showpiece tournament, to be held in Australia next year. The draw ceremony for the 12-team tournament to be run from March 1 to 21, 2026 was held at the Sydney Town Hall with Indian midfielder Sangita Basfore being one of the three draw assistants. The 12 teams were divided into three groups of four teams each. The Blue Tigresses will begin their campaign with a match against Vietnam on March 4, 2026, at the Perth Rectangular Stadium. India will then face Japan on March 7 at the same venue, before squaring off against Chinese Taipei on March 10 at the Western Sydney Stadium. The top two teams from each group and the two best third-placed sides will advance to the quarter-finals. The four semi-finalists will book their tickets to the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil, while the losing sides from the quarter-finals will advance to the playoffs, where two more spots at the global showpiece will be at stake. Women's World Cup winners in 2011, Japan are the highest-ranked Asian team in the FIFA chart at seventh. They won the Women's Asian Cup titles in 2014 and 2018 but were denied a hat-trick after losing to eventual champions China in the semi-finals in the 2022 edition held in India inside a COVID-19 bubble. Vietnam, ranked 37th, will be targeting a spot at the 2027 Women's World Cup after making their debut at the 2023 edition. They topped the play-off round among losing quarterfinalists in the 2022 Women's Asian Cup in India to make it to the 2023 Women's World Cup. Chinese Taipei, currently ranked 42nd, have won the last of their three AFC Women's Asian Cup titles in 1980 and they will also aim to qualify for the 2027 Women's World Cup. India are currently ranked 70th in the world, the lowest in the group. "I think we have a very interesting, and at the same time, a tricky group. Japan are the cream of Asia. Vietnam and Chinese Taipei are good sides, and we can compete with them and aim for favourable results," India head coach Crispin Chettri in an AIFF release. "Now that we know our opponents, we have to choose our friendly matches wisely and prepare well. Staying together as a unit and working hard in the camps will go a long way in helping us prepare to face the best teams in Asia and target World Cup qualification." Basfore said, "We've already played against Vietnam, Chinese Taipei, and Japan in the past, so I know from experience that we can definitely compete with them. "Our target has always been to reach Brazil and play in the World Cup, to feel the World Cup experience. Now, we are just one step away," she said. In Group A, hosts Australia were drawn alongside Korea Republic, Iran and Philippines. Group B consists of DPR Korea, China, Bangladesh and Uzbekistan. China are the defending champions and they will be seeking a record-extending 10th title. The Indian women's team was forced to withdraw from its group match against Chinese Taipei at the 2022 Women's Asian Cup in Navi Mumbai after a number of players tested positive for COVID-19 even while staying inside the bio-secure bubble. India were unable to name a minimum 13-woman squad for the match and it was considered a withdrawal, according to the competition rules. India had originally named a 23-member squad. That was after India played out a 0-0 draw in their first match against Iran.
Hindustan Times
10 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Gender revolution on the chessboard
A historic campaign at the FIDE Women's Chess World Cup could easily be just about the champion Divya Deshmukh and the runner-up Koneru Humpy, but for India, it is so much more. The triumph is a sign that the chess revolution in India transcends the gender divide. This achievement by the duo stands on the shoulders of those who came before them. It includes the Khadilkar sisters (Vasanti, Jayanti, Rohini), who emerged in the 1970s and won the first 10 women's national championships among them, demanding to compete alongside men. Bhagyashree Thipsay played a role in the '80s and early '90s, but it was Humpy herself who took it up more than a few notches, by becoming India's first female Grandmaster (GM) at 15 and establishing herself as one of the strongest female players in the world. Deshmukh's rise and success are a part of the modern chapter that has already seen women become gold medal winners at the 2024 Chess Olympiad in Budapest. This is a generation that thinks differently. While some of the previous generation viewed themselves as outsiders, the younger women GMs (R Vaishali and Deshmukh) not only want to dominate the women's game, but also take on men. That, in a world which sees few women challenging the top male players, is a sign of the goalposts shifting. GM D Gukesh became the world champion at age 18, and Divya won the Women's World Cup at 19 — both are the youngest in history to do so. Most of this generation of players, regardless of gender, have grown up playing in the same academies. The confidence that they can beat anybody in the world, perhaps, comes from there. It's simply a given.
