Kamal Ghorui
Panaji: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has stopped payment to the vendor and asked its integrity officer, Vivek Dhir, to investigate the kit fiasco in Australia that left the Indian women’s team without proper jerseys, 48 hours before the AFC Women’s Asian Cup opener against Vietnam last week.“The integrity officer will check the kit issue and find out who is at fault,” said AIFF deputy secretary general M Satyanarayan. “Action will definitely be taken. We have stopped payment to the vendor, pending investigation. The officer will also look into the letter (which the players wrote). All aspects are being checked.”The national women’s football team was forced to hurriedly arrange for playing kits locally in Australia after the set of jerseys sent by the AIFF appeared to have been manufactured for age-group teams and “did not fit at least 80% of the 26-member squad.”Senior players were alarmed when they tried the jerseys and, given the seriousness, decided to officially write to the AIFF on March 2. India captain Sweety Devi, Manisha Kalyan, Grace Dangmei, Sangita Basfore, Panthoi Chanu, Sanju, Pyari Xaxa and Shreya Hooda signed the letter.“Over the past days, players and staff have already faced challenges due to the lack of appropriate clothing during preparation. The arrival of incorrect match kits at this crucial stage has further affected morale and disrupted our focus in the final days leading up to the match. Representing India on the international stage requires professional standards, including properly fitted and appropriate match and training apparel,” the players said in a signed letter to the AIFF.India lost all three games at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 and finished at the bottom of the four-team group.Coached by experienced Costa Rican Amelia Valverde, the national team was competitive against Vietnam (1-2), where they conceded a late winner, and against Chinese Taipei (1-3), with Manisha Kalyan’s stunning freekick grabbing global attention.
