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The Indian women’s football team plunged to an all-time low in the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings released last week.

The Indian team, once ranked among the top 50 in December 2013, has been on a decline over the years and is currently ranked 70th owing to its recent performances.

With FIFA increasing the number of participating teams for the World Cup, the Indian women’s team has an opportunity to qualify for the grand tournament.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) President, Kalyan Chaubey, is also optimistic.

“The girls in the age group of 14 to 18 have done well in the 18-22 years senior level. We have a chance to qualify for the FIFA World Cup or at least for the Asia Cup (women), provided we continue this training and do not limit it to our 30 players who are training in Bangalore. AIFF is trying to partner with state governments by providing technical support,” AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey told Read on Friday.

Satyanarayan M, Deputy Secretary General, too, echoed the sentiments and expressed hope.

“We are actually ranked 13 in Asia. If you are in the top 8, then you automatically get into the World Cup. In the last two tours in Dubai, we played tough teams like Korea and Russia, and now we played Uzbekistan twice in Bangalore 10 days back. They are ranked 50, and we are about 65. The whole process is to try and play tougher teams,” he said.

“Also, our under-17, under-20 girls, we’re getting them to longer capital camps, and from next year, once it becomes a yearly World Cup, I think we stand a very good chance,” asserted Satyanarayan.

It remains to be seen if the Blue Tigresses can turn the World Cup dream into reality. Only time will tell whether AIFF’s plans will bear fruit or the Blue Tigress will slump to new lows.