Amelia valverde

Sangita Basfore: Long before the final whistle in Thailand confirmed India’s place in the continental showpiece six months ago, Sangita Basfore had already manifested the journey in her mind as something much bigger than just qualifying for the AFC Women's Asian Cup.

At the very start of last year’s qualifying campaign, while the immediate objective for the India women's national team was to reach the Asian Cup, Sangita’s focus stretched one step further. For her, the Asian Cup was never the destination. It was the gateway to the FIFA Women's World Cup.

That forward-thinking mindset defined her campaign. And fittingly, when India sealed qualification, powered by Sangita’s decisive two-goal performance against Thailand in the final qualifying match, it felt less like the end of a journey and more like the opening of the real mission.