Jigmet Chunzen of Aspire F.C named skipper in debut year
PUNE, : Pune-based Aspire Football Club has emerged as a major contributor to Indian women’s futsal, with three of its players — Jigmet Chunzen, Ritika Singh, and Pooja Gupta — earning selection in the Indian Women’s Futsal Team for the inaugural SAFF Women’s Futsal Championship 2026, scheduled to be held in Thailand.
The 14-member Indian squad has been announced by head coach Joshuah Vaz for the historic SAFF tournament. Notably, seven players in the squad bring along valuable Asian exposure, having featured in the AFC Women’s Futsal Asian Cup 2025 Qualifiers held last January.
In a landmark moment for Indian futsal, midfielder Jigmet Chunzen, who hails from Ladakh, has been named the captain of the Indian team and will make her senior India debut at the championship. Jigmet’s selection is historic, as she becomes the first-ever player from Ladakh to be selected for the Indian Women’s Futsal Team.
The other two Aspire India players, Pooja Gupta and Ritika Singh, will be representing the national team for the second consecutive time, having donned Indian colours in the international futsal circuit last January as well.
The Indian team arrived in Thailand on January 7, following a month-long preparatory camp in Bengaluru, aimed at fine-tuning tactics and match readiness ahead of the championship.
India have been drawn in a competitive group alongside Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka. All matches will be played at the Nonthaburi Stadium in Nonthaburi, Thailand.
India will kick off their SAFF Women’s Futsal Championship campaign against Maldives on Tuesday, January 13, 2026. The team will then face Bangladesh (January 15), Nepal (January 17), Pakistan (January 19), Bhutan (January 23), and Sri Lanka (January 25).
At the conclusion of the seven-round league format, the table toppers will be crowned the first-ever SAFF Women’s Futsal Champions, marking a significant milestone in the growth of women’s futsal in South Asia.
