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Amelia Valverde may stay as India women’s team head coach
AIFF may extend Amelia Valverde's contract despite India's losses at the AFC Women's Asian Cup, pending her report and committee discussions.
Kolkata: Appointed for the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, Amelia Valverde may be given a longer contract by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). Two AIFF officials told HT they were satisfied with the Costa Rican’s coaching in the tournament where India lost all three matches and were eliminated from the group league on Tuesday. Valverde’s contract ends this month.
A decision will be taken after Valverde files her report on the tournament. The report will be discussed by IM Vijayan, the technical committee chair, Subrata Pal, director national teams, and technical director Syed Sabir Pasha. Valverde’s appointment will have to be ratified by the AIFF’s executive committee.
It is likely to happen before India’s next engagement, a FIFA invitational tournament next month in Africa, an official said on Wednesday. The future of Valverde’s India assistant-coaches Crispin Chhetri and Priya PV may also be discussed, another AIFF official said. Though Valverde, 39, brought two Costa Ricans as her assistants in Australia, AIFF has not ruled out keeping Indians on the staff, the official said.
Barring goalkeeper Panthoi Chanu Elangbam and the team doctor, the rest of the squad returned to India on Wednesday. Elangbam suffered a concussion following a collision with India captain Sweety Devi in the 1-3 defeat to Chinese Taipei on Tuesday and has been advised rest for a few days, said the official who mentioned Chhetri and Priya’s contracts will also be discussed.
In another development, AIFF’s integrity officer Vivek Vir will head an inquiry into how wrong-sized jerseys were sent to Australia, if at all. Payment to the vendor in Tirupur has been withheld pending the inquiry which will be completed next week. Two days before India’s first match on March 4, players had written to AIFF saying jerseys for age-group teams had been provided. In six hours, AIFF sourced new kits in Perth which the team used.
