Benchwarmer to Indian football lynchpin - Sangita Basfore's inspiring story

When the Indian women’s football team booked its spot in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers after more than two decades, Sangita Basfore stood at the heart of that historic moment.

Scoring twice in the decisive match against Thailand, Sangita sparked a belief.

"That day, something changed," Sangita recalled, stating the shift wasn’t just on the football ground. It was happening in homes and in the hearts of young girls.

"After the qualifiers, something shifted. Families are now supporting girls to play. In places like Kolkata and Kalyani, the atmosphere is changing. People believe in us now," Sangita told The Bridge.

For Sangita, who has spent over a decade in Indian football, the qualification was a moment of personal triumph.

"This is a very real chance for us to reach the AFC Final and that means a lot for Indian women football. When the final whistle blew against Thailand, all I could think of was, now we can dream about the World Cup."

Top six teams from the AFC Women's Asian Cup will directly qualify for the 2027 Women's FIFA World Cup.

What fuels this belief?

Sangita recently had the opportunity to represent India at last month’s AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 Draw held at Sydney Town Hall. She was one of three draw assistants alongside Australia’s Tameka Yallop and the Republic of Korea’s Jeon Yu-gyeong.

"I shared the car with Jeon Yu-gyeong from Korea. She’s only 21. That’s when I realized they’re just like us. There’s no real difference. If they can do it, so can we," a confident Sangita said.

India has been drawn in Group C with World No. 8 Japan, Vietnam (37), and Chinese Taipei (42) for the continental showpiece.

A decade of hardwork

Sangita’s journey with the Indian national team has been inspiring. When she first joined the senior squad in 2015, Sangita was wary of making mistakes and unsure of how she’d fit in.

"I was nervous about training with senior players like Bambam, Bala, and Sasmita Mallik di," Sangita said.

"I kept thinking how will I even start? They were such talented players. I worried that if I made a wrong pass, they might scold me. I began with a lot of fear," she added..

But gradually, things changed. The senior players in the team lead by example.

"The seniors started sharing the dinner table, talking to us, guiding us. They’d say, don’t do this, don’t eat that, it’s not good for your health. Slowly, they became more like friends. That’s when I started to feel comfortable," she added.

Turning Point

For the next three years, Sangita warmed the bench and hardly had an opportunity to be part of the starting XI. It was in 2018, Indian team head coach Maymol Rocky gave Sangita the push she needed.

"One day Maymol ma'am asked, 'How long will you sit on the bench? Don’t you want to be in the starting XI?' That hit me hard. I told myself, 'I can't just sit here,'" she said.

That year, in Spain, Sangita finally broke into the starting XI.

"I played well. After the match, ma’am said, 'Where were you for so many years? Now I see you.' That one comment gave me so much confidence," Sangita recalled.

Now, as a senior player herself, Sangita knows exactly how to make debutants feel comfortable. She encourages them to have open communication.

"For a few days I observe, then sit with them at the dining table, and start a conversation. If I have a roommate (who is junior), I ask them to point out my mistakes and I share theirs."

A ritual that has helped Sangita build trust with her teammates.

"There have been moments when they told me I made a mistake or that I played well. Once Sweety told me I was making a mistake with player scanning and I worked on that," she added.

"We are supporting each other and moving forward. I want all the junior players to move forward. They are our future," she said.

With success came struggles

Sangita got a job with Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) in 2017, which gave her financial security. But it also meant she couldn’t play regular club football.

And training without matches was hard and remaining consistent was harder. Then an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in 2021 kept her away for a while.

"I couldn’t play in the Indian Women’s League due to department rules," she rued. "But thankfully I was called for national camps.

"Every day (in the camp), I thought, this is my last chance. If I don’t perform, I won’t be called back, I'd wake up at 5AM, train from 8 to 10:30, manage departmental duties, rest a bit, and then train again in the evening.

"It was exhausting. Other players had regular club matches, but I had to prove myself every time," she added.

But things look brighter now, Sangita is set to make her debut for East Bengal in the upcoming AFC Women’s Champions League.

Sangita Basfore has been more than just a midfielder and she knows it is the players who can collectively take Indian women football to greater heights.