Organizers of the new Asian Women's Champions League hope that the tournament can help take the women’s game on the continent to the next level, both on and off the pitch. The preliminary stage of the first season of the Asian AFC Women's Champions League (ACWL) is set to kick off on Sunday, August 25 with 13 clubs from countries such as Nepal, Myanmar, Singapore and India competing to qualify to join eight direct entrants in the group stage. While Asia's women have had some success at national team level with Japan winning the 2011 World Cup and China reaching the final in 1999, the continent's clubs have yet to make an impact.
They vary wildly in terms of standards, resources and infrastructure. But some believe that a well-structured continental competition could make a difference. "It's a significant opportunity for clubs to accelerate onto the regional and global stage," Moya Dodd, a former Australian international and former executive committee member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and FIFA Council, told DW.
Investing to narrow the gap "The reality is that investment in Europe and the US is greater than in Asia right now, so those leagues are attracting the best players," Dodd said. "Unless Asia matches that investment, the gap won't close." According to the Asian Football Confederation, clubs that participate in the group stages will receive at least $100,000 (€109,000) with the eventual winners in line for around $1.
3 million, a significant sum for wome.