We can start believing: Paromita Sit dreams of Indian squad at FIFA Women’s World Cup

When Nita Football Academy defended its Odisha Women's League title last month, celebrations erupted. For the young women, the title defense was a moment of great pride.

For Head Coach Paromita Sit, however, the victory was just a steppingstone towards building something lasting in Indian women's football.

As a former India international, Paromita knows what it takes to play at the highest level. And quite naturally, the news of the FIFA Women’s World Cup expanding to 48 teams from 2031 and the Olympic Women’s Football Tournament increasing to 16 nations from 2028 is a development that excites her.

"We have raw talent, but we need structure,” she tells The Bridge. “If we focus on development now, the next decade could see Indian women's football stepping up in ways we once thought were too far-fetched," she reflects.

Incidentally, these are ideologies that did not quite exist when she began playing.

A football dream in a mining town

Born in Jharia, a town shaped by coal mines and tough working conditions, Paromita spent her first ten years in an environment where football was far from a priority. However, it was deeply rooted in her family.

"My father played for Bargachia Sporting in a regional league," she shares, recalling how football was always a part of her world.

As a child, she played in the park with boys, unaware of gender-based barriers. "I never thought of football as something only boys played," she says. "For me, it was the most natural thing in the world—to just kick the ball and enjoy the game."

When her family moved to Bargachia, she faced the challenge of limited training resources. Determined to improve, she traveled to Howrah or Kolkata by train just to practice. "My parents supported me, but there were moments when they worried," she shares. "Traveling far for practice, balancing studies—nothing was easy. But I knew I had to push through."

At 14, she earned a spot in Bengal’s U-19 team. She represented India at the U-19 Asian Championship in China in 2004. By 2006, she was part of the Senior Indian Women’s Team, playing until 2013. "Standing on the field, knowing we were playing for something so big—it was surreal," she says, referring to her Olympic Pre-Qualifiers experience.

Throughout her playing career, she competed for several clubs in the Calcutta Women’s Football League, and Bangalore United Football Club in Indian Women’s League.

Paromita became one of the rare athletes to represent both West Bengal and Karnataka in Senior Nationals and National Games; she also captained Karnataka in the Senior Nationals. She was part of the West Bengal team that won bronze in the 2011 National Games.

A call for structural improvements

In 2006, during a senior Indian team camp, a knee injury threatened her career. She underwent multiple surgeries but refused to leave the sport.

"At times, I wondered if I'd ever fully recover," she admits. "There were moments of doubt, moments where I felt like giving up. But football was everything—I couldn't just walk away."

Despite immense physical pain, she fought to stay on the field until retiring in 2021.

In 2018, Paromita shifted her focus to coaching, determined to shape the next generation. Ever since, stints with the Odisha Women’s Team in 2022, a gold medal winning campaign with the Odisha’s National Games Team and titles in the Odisha Women’s League have given her more than a sense of perspective.

With experience in the bag, Paromita now pushes for structural improvements in Indian women’s football, calling for better financial support and infrastructure.

"Women’s football in India has talent," she insists. "What we lack is consistent support, structured development, and financial backing. If those things change, we can compete internationally at a much higher level."

For Paromita Sit, the development of additional teams being added to the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup roster is a shift that represents not just an expanded playing field, but the chance for India to dream bigger than ever before.

"This expansion is a reflection of how women’s football is growing worldwide," she says. "It’s encouraging, because it means nations like India can start believing in long-term progress. Maybe in Los Angeles 2028—fingers crossed—we’ll see our team making strides toward that level."

While India may not yet be knocking on the door of World Cup or Olympic qualification just yet, she believes that dreams know no bounds, and taking meaningful steps today could open doors that seemed impossible just a few years ago.