MARGAO
Garhwal United FC were crowned champions of the 2024-25 Indian Women’s League 2, finishing their campaign with a 3-0 win over Roots FC at the Duler Stadium in Mapusa on Saturday.
The Delhi side have been promoted to the 2025-26 Indian Women’s League for the first time.
It marked an utterly dominant campaign with eight wins in as many matches, four each in the group stage and the final round. Garhwal scored 28 goals and conceded only one over the course of the season. Their striker Lhingdeikim ended up as the top scorer of the IWL 2 with 12 goals, including a brace on Saturday.
The 17-year-old opened the scoring against Roots from the penalty spot in the 44th minute. Three minutes later, she latched onto a long ball, went through on goal, rounded the goalkeeper and finished into the empty net to put the game to bed. Garhwal’s third goal in the 57th minute was a pure team effort as they carved open the Roots defence, with Deepika Pal setting up Shruti Kumari, who tapped in from six yards out.
It was Garhwal’s seventh clean sheet in eight matches. They ended the final round with 12 points, while Indian Arrows Women Juniors finished runners-up with nine, and Goan side Sesa Football Academy finished third with three points.
Valanka Alemao, chairperson of AIFF Women's Committee and executive committee member of the AIFF, was the chief guest and gave away trophies in the presence of Climax Lawrence, AIFF Technical Committee member, and Walter Pereira, AFC referee assessor.
