Kuresong’s Crispin Chettri leads Indian women’s football team to historic AFC Asian Cup 2026

ISABELLA GURUNG

GANGTOK, : Darjeeling hills are basking in national pride as Kurseong-lad Crispin Chettri (50), head coach of the Indian women’s football team, has scripted history, guiding India to qualify for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026, after 22 years.

India scored an impressive 2-1 victory over a higher ranked Thailand at the Chiang Mai Stadium on July 5.Earlier, Team India won against Mongolia 13-0, Timor Leste 4-0 and Iraq 5-0.

The AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 will be held in Australia.

“This is really massive for Indian football, especially at a time when things haven’t been going well. It is like a ray of hope. We are all overwhelmed! We had built a ‘core team’, which helped our team to successfully qualify for the upcoming AFC Women’s Asian Cup. The players understood eachother, which helped them perform better,” expressed Crispin in an exclusive conversation with SIKKIM EXPRESS.

Born and raised in St. Mary’s Hill, Kurseong, Chettri’s football journey began in Darjeeling hills. He has represented top Indian clubs like MohunBagan, TollygungeAgragami, and United SC. He also played various championships, including the 2000 AFC U19 Championship qualifiers.

Now as the head coach of both Odisha FC Women and the Indian national women’s team, Chettri is making headlines not just for his team’s victories, but for his vision of long-term development.

Under his leadership, Odisha FC Women won the 2023–24 IWL title, qualified for the inaugural AFC Women’s Champions League. He took charge of the Indian women’s football team as the head coach in February 2024 and led the national team to qualify for AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026.

Chettri emphasized the importance of grassroots development, especially in his home region.

“I think we bleed football in the hills. I've always been inclined towards sports in general, and I always wanted to become a PE teacher after my football career. Then I came to know about football coaching courses, started earning my badges, and now here I am. I might sound harsh, but there is less development of football in the hills. However, there are signs of progress. A football academy for girls has opened in Kalimpong, and the Kurseong Football Association has been organizing the GorkhaCheli Tournament consistently for the past three years,” he said.

“My message to aspiring footballers from the hills is to keep dreaming. There are no shortcuts. The biggest enemy between you and your success is yourself. Believe in yourself,” he added.

With India now officially qualified for the 21st edition of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, scheduled for March 2026, the tournament also doubles as a qualification route for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 in Brazil.

Chettri has made it clear that he intends to stick with the current team, with only minimal changes, as they prepare for the challenges ahead.

“Our next focus is preparation. We’ll plan exposure tours and friendly matches. My long-term goal is to make India a regular in AFC competitions, and eventually target the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2031,” he said.

He was recently felicitated by UKFC Club and Sports Association of Kurseong.

On Wednesday, GTA chief executive AnitThapa met and congratulated Crispin, describing him as a “KhelRatna” of the Darjeeling hills who has brought pride for the region and India with his historic achievement.