“We are in a race against time,” newly appointed India Women’s Team Coach Amelia Valverde
Amelia Valverde, the new coach of the Indian senior women’s team, was only 23 when she began her coaching career back home in Costa Rica. Four years later, she found herself in the dugout at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium, leading her country in their first-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup match in 2015. They drew 1-1 with Spain. It was a commendable job by the first female head coach that Costa Rica had ever appointed. Valverde was still in her 20s “I like my teams to be brave,” affirms Valverde. India will be heading to the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026, looking to punch above their weight and qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time. Bravery has to be the first word in the Blue Tigresses’ dictionary. Despite having never coached a team outside North America before, Valverde is relishing this challenge on the opposite side of the globe. All this may seem like something new for her, but in a way, it’s not. She has coached at two World Cups, faced …
