Sesa Football Academy’s IWL Qualification Marks a Goan Revival and a Blueprint for Sustainable Women’s Football

The Sesa Football Academy (SFA) senior women’s team qualifying for the Indian Women’s League (IWL) for the first time is more than a sporting milestone.

It marks the end of a three-year absence of Goan representation at the highest level of Indian women’s football and signals what many within the state are calling a genuine revival of the women’s game  .

SFA will now compete among the country’s elite in the ninth edition of the IWL, with the first phase scheduled in West Bengal from December 20 to January 6. In doing so, the Sircaim-based academy becomes only the fifth club from Goa to reach the IWL a statistic that underlines both the achievement and the historical instability that has plagued women’s football in the state.

Goa’s absence from the IWL over the last three seasons had quietly created a vacuum. Without a team on the national stage, the pathway for talented young footballers narrowed, visibility dropped, and continuity suffered. While individual Goan players continued to find opportunities elsewhere, the lack of a home-state representative at the elite level weakened the local ecosystem.

That is why SFA’s qualification has been widely hailed as a turning point. Dronacharya Awardee Armando Colaco, who previously coached at SFA, described it as “the revival of women’s football in Goa,” crediting the academy for rebuilding the ecosystem and inspiring a new generation of players. His assessment resonates because SFA’s rise has been neither sudden nor accidental it is the product of a structured, long-term development model.

A journey built on foundations

SFA’s ascent to the IWL is rooted in steady progression rather than a single breakthrough season. The academy first established its presence within the Vedanta Women’s League (VWL), Goa’s premier women’s competition and a key feeder to the national structure. After finishing third in its debut season, SFA went on to win the VWL title, earning a pathway into the national second tier and eventually promotion to the IWL.

This route matters. Over the last decade, Goan clubs have reached the IWL but struggled to sustain momentum. Panjim Footballers, Bidesh XI, Sirvodem FC and Churchill Brothers all qualified at different points, yet none managed long-term continuity. SFA’s entry as the fifth such club raises an important question: can this time be different?

What sets SFA apart is its institutional backing. Unlike traditional clubs that rely heavily on short-term sponsorships or individual benefactors, SFA operates as a flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative of Vedanta Sesa Goa. This model provides financial stability, governance structure and long-term intent three ingredients often missing in women’s football clubs across the country.

Navin Jaju, CEO of Vedanta Sesa Goa, captured this philosophy succinctly. “This historic feat reflects the academy’s unwavering commitment to developing women’s football and empowerment at the grassroots level,” he said. The emphasis on empowerment is not rhetorical. SFA’s operations are integrated into Vedanta’s broader social impact vision, where sport is seen as both a competitive pursuit and a tool for social development.

This stability allows SFA to invest in infrastructure, qualified coaching, and age-group development without the constant pressure of short-term results. It also insulates the team from the “revolving door” phenomenon that has seen Goan clubs appear fleetingly at the national level before fading away.

Talent pipeline and academic balance

SFA’s qualification also reflects the success of its talent pipeline. Players developed at the academy have already made their presence felt beyond club football. Pearl Fernandes, a product of this ecosystem, was part of India’s SAFF U-17 title-winning side, while Aaroshi Govekar has earned a senior national team debut. Such examples reinforce the academy’s credibility as a high-performance environment.

Equally important is SFA’s emphasis on dual careers. Several players from the senior women’s team were part of Goa University’s title-winning side at the West Zone Inter-University Championship, highlighting an approach that balances elite sport with education. In a country where professional security in women’s football remains uncertain, this emphasis is crucial for player retention and long-term well-being.

Qualification, however, is only the beginning. The IWL presents a far sterner test, with established powerhouses such as Odisha FC, Gokulam Kerala FC, Kickstart FC, Sethu FC and strong West Bengal teams setting high competitive benchmarks. The league’s two-phase structure will demand careful squad management, sports science support and tactical maturity areas where SFA’s academy-first approach will now be put to the test.

Yet the very fact that SFA enters the IWL with a stable base, a clear identity and institutional backing suggests this is not a short-term appearance. The objective is sustainability remaining competitive, retaining players, and continuing to feed talent into the national system.

SFA’s IWL qualification stands as a case study in how women’s football in India might move forward. Rather than sporadic participation driven by last-minute funding, it shows the value of long-term CSR-backed investment, strong grassroots leagues like the VWL, and a clear pathway from youth football to the national stage.

For Goa, it restores pride and visibility. For Indian women’s football, it offers a template. And for the players pulling on the SFA jersey this December, it represents the culmination of years of work and the start of a far bigger journey on the country’s biggest domestic stage.