India's women's football coach hopes to be SAG champion again

India's women's football coach Sajid Yusuf on Thursday expressed hope that his team would retain the champion's trophy at the South Asian Games here and exhibit a good show against Maldives in their first match later this week.

"We are happy with the preparations as a host team. As we are the defending champions so all eyes will be on us and expectations will be high from us," Yusuf told reporters at a joint media conference with coaches and captains of Maldives and Bangladesh women's football teams.

"We are looking to start off well against Maldives and hope to get the best result against them. We have to respect all the teams," he said.

India's women's national team captain Bembem Devi, who was present, said "we have been working hard for the last two weeks and we'll try to defend the title".

Devi said she would do her "level best" along with the team to win the competition.

Devi, who is set to retire from professional football after the South Asian Games, said her only regret was that there was not much competitions for women in the country.

"I hope to have a women I-League competition in the country," Devi said adding that such competitions would give impetus to more talented women coming up to play.

Bangladesh coach Md Golam Robbani Choton also expressed confidence that his team would put up a tough competition for the participating teams at the SAG.

Bangladesh took home Bronze in the last edition of the SAG even as it was their first participation at such a top competition.

"Our target is to win at least one game. We get ready for this tournament. I believe in our team. We're satisfied with the arrangements made for the games," the coach said.

As for Maldives, their Japanese coach Naoko Kawamoto said the cold weather condition of a hill city like Shillong could have a negative impact on her players.

She said, "Maldives is a warm country and coming to the cold, it could be a minus point but we will try our best."

Asked on her style of football, Kawamoto, who has been managing the Maldives national team for two years, said, "we are trying to improve our attack. We are better than last year's team."