india women's football team, indian women's league
AIFF Media

After the success of I-League and the Indian Super League (ISL), comes the much-awaited Indian women's football league. The tournament, referred to as the Indian Women's League (IWL), had a grand launch in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Indian sports calendar 2017.

The competition for promising women's footballers from the country was a long time coming and it has been greeted with plenty of cheers from the Indian football fans.

"Our [India] women's team is ranked 54 in the world which is higher than the men's ranking of 129," All India Football Federation (AIFF) President Praful Patel said. "For the upcoming FIFA women's World Cup in 2019, if we put in the right effort, our women's team will have an outside chance of qualifying for the world cup before the men. This in itself is a huge achievement," he added.

Two teams from the North-East of India -- the current hotbed of Indian football -- are participating in the competition, while there is no representation from Kolkata, Goa or Bengaluru.

The event was also graced by Sakshi Malik, the bronze medal winner in women's wrestling at the Rio Olympics 2016, as well as Union Sports Minister Vijay Goel.

Teams participating

Haryana: FC Alakhpura

Puducherry: Jeppiaar Institute of Technology FC

Mizoram: Aizawl FC 

Pune: FC Pune City

Odisha: Rising Student Club 

Manipur: Eastern Sporting Union 

Format of tournament

League phase and knockout.

Start date: January 28.

 DOWNLOAD: Indian Women's League 2017 fixtures