Long before the final whistle in Thailand confirmed India’s place at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, Sangita Basfore had already visualised the journey as something far greater than qualification for a continental tournament.
At the start of last year’s qualifying campaign, the immediate objective for the Indian women’s national team was clear secure a place at the Asian Cup. For Sangita, however, the Asian Cup was never meant to be the final destination. Instead, it represented the first step towards a much larger ambition: qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
That forward-thinking approach defined her campaign. When India eventually sealed qualification, powered by Sangita’s decisive two-goal performance against Thailand in the final qualifying match, the moment felt less like a culmination and more like the beginning of a new mission.
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The same mindset continues to shape her outlook as the Blue Tigresses prepare for the continental tournament in Australia. India arrived earlier than any other competing team in order to maximise preparation time and acclimatise to unfamiliar conditions. Within the squad, the messaging has remained consistent the Asian Cup is a step towards something bigger.
“From the start of the Asian Cup qualifiers last year, the whole team have had one thought, which is to qualify for the World Cup. But that is just one step. Right now, our time has come, and our first match is on March 4, so all our focus is on that. If we win that, our confidence will grow, and the same motivation will continue for the rest of the games. Everyone in the team is clear about taking it game by game,” Sangita said.
Preparation for this moment has been both structured and extensive. The squad has spent over a month and a half together, including a preparatory training camp in Türkiye, before travelling to Australia. The sharp transition in climate — from winter cold in Europe to significantly warmer Australian conditions made early arrival more than a logistical decision; it became a competitive necessity.
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“It has been very important. We have been together for 45 days. Earlier, we were preparing in Turkey, where it was very cold, but here the weather is completely different, much warmer. So coming early gave us a very good opportunity to adapt. At the start, it was difficult, but now we are getting used to the heat and playing better. So it was a good decision to come early and get time to adjust to the conditions,” she explained.
Her role in helping India secure qualification remains one of the defining moments of the campaign. The two goals in the decisive qualifier not only helped India advance but also brought Sangita into the spotlight. Despite the recognition that followed, the 29-year-old continues to emphasise the collective effort behind the achievement.
“That was not just my effort, it was the whole team’s hard work. If the team had not given me the right passes, maybe I could not have scored any goals. So the credit goes to the entire team, the staff, and all the players. After that, there were many interviews and attention, but for me it was just part of the experience. It was a good moment, and now I just want to keep performing like this for the national team and move forward in my career,” she added.
Her belief in India’s ability to compete at the highest level had also been evident during the official draw in Sydney last July, where the scale of the tournament first became tangible for the players.
“Even then we never felt that we could not do it, and that belief is still the same. Whether at the dining table or on the training ground, we always talk about our plan to go step by step. To reach the World Cup, we have to play at least four matches first, so right now the focus is only on the first game,” she noted.
Alongside tactical preparation and environmental adjustment, the team has also been adapting to new leadership under head coach Amelia Valverde. For Sangita, the most significant aspect of the transition has been the emphasis on fairness and opportunity within the squad.
“Coach Amelia has been here for over a month now. Every coach has different thoughts about how to treat players and how to make them play. What I like about this coach is that she gives chances to everyone and treats all players equally. That is very good for the team. So far, we have mostly seen things in training, and now we need to show it in matches. The coach is doing her job, preparing us, and now it is up to us to perform on the field,” she said.
From envisioning a place at the World Cup during the qualifiers, to delivering the goals that secured India’s passage to the Asian Cup, Sangita Basfore’s journey reflects a mindset firmly rooted in progression. Qualification was never the finish line — it was simply confirmation that the larger objective remains within reach.
