<p>Bengaluru: Kickstart FC have been crowned the Karnataka Women’s League (KWL) champions. That is a sentence that has seen newspaper pages for seven years straight. The club has been spiralling upwards in a beautiful virtuous circle. They have been almost invincible in the KWL. They have been impressive in phases in the Indian Women’s League (IWL), finishing as runners-up in 2022-23. Three players from the club made the Indian squad for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers. </p><p>While these are good signs for Karnataka football, the circle has not been so virtuous and missteps have dominated the conversations that have followed. </p><p>A single club winning the league for seven years straight might be a step forward from a dominance point of view, but it has sown questions of the lack of competitiveness and the talent in the state. </p><p>The numbers also demonstrate the extent to which they have dominated. In the ten matches Kickstart have featured in the KWL 2025-26, they have not only won all ten, but have dominated most of the games. They have also scored 10+ goals in two fixtures (12-0, 15-0).</p>.Run-rate conundrum: Fair play? KSCA tests NRRR.<p>While the supremacy seems to be a spectacle, nothing highlights the lack of competitive nature of the league better than this. </p><p>The cause of it, obviously, relates to the lack of focus on the grassroots and investing time in home grown talent, says Laxman Bhattarai, the CEO and Director of Football at Kickstart FC. </p><p>“Women’s football in Karnataka, it is a plan in progress. There are a few good teams but I don’t know the intention or vision behind them. The quality is not sustainable because of the grassroot programmes. We at KFC have 6-7 home grown players. And the results speak for themselves.”</p><p>While a handful of teams have shown signs of improvement and a hope for the future at the KWL, the numbers do not have a very pretty viewing at the IWL. </p><p>Out of the eight editions played so far, teams from Karnataka, (only Kickstart FC) have managed to finish as runners-up, their best finish, only once. </p><p>“In Bengaluru, if you compare the IWL and the KWL, the quality is very, very low. There are only three to four teams who compete and the rest of the teams are just participating.”</p><p>From a different perspective, things look bright. However, when you dig deep, the supply chain for the future is main talking point. Or is there a supply chain for talent in Karnataka?</p><p>“If you go to Manipur, Kolkata or Tamil Nadu, the kids are playing football from the age of 10. Whereas here (Karnataka), that focus isn’t there. Especially for girls.”</p><p>The Karnataka State Football Association (KSFA) needs to accept that women’s football in the state isn’t good enough. Certain initiatives -- be it with financial or structural -- maybe the way forward. </p><p>Furthermore, the obsession for overnight results -- love for plucking a flower before it fully blossoms also needs to stop. And for Karnataka, time seems to be running out. </p>
<p>Bengaluru: Kickstart FC have been crowned the Karnataka Women’s League (KWL) champions. That is a sentence that has seen newspaper pages for seven years straight. The club has been spiralling upwards in a beautiful virtuous circle. They have been almost invincible in the KWL. They have been impressive in phases in the Indian Women’s League (IWL), finishing as runners-up in 2022-23. Three players from the club made the Indian squad for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers. </p><p>While these are good signs for Karnataka football, the circle has not been so virtuous and missteps have dominated the conversations that have followed. </p><p>A single club winning the league for seven years straight might be a step forward from a dominance point of view, but it has sown questions of the lack of competitiveness and the talent in the state. </p><p>The numbers also demonstrate the extent to which they have dominated. In the ten matches Kickstart have featured in the KWL 2025-26, they have not only won all ten, but have dominated most of the games. They have also scored 10+ goals in two fixtures (12-0, 15-0).</p>.Run-rate conundrum: Fair play? KSCA tests NRRR.<p>While the supremacy seems to be a spectacle, nothing highlights the lack of competitive nature of the league better than this. </p><p>The cause of it, obviously, relates to the lack of focus on the grassroots and investing time in home grown talent, says Laxman Bhattarai, the CEO and Director of Football at Kickstart FC. </p><p>“Women’s football in Karnataka, it is a plan in progress. There are a few good teams but I don’t know the intention or vision behind them. The quality is not sustainable because of the grassroot programmes. We at KFC have 6-7 home grown players. And the results speak for themselves.”</p><p>While a handful of teams have shown signs of improvement and a hope for the future at the KWL, the numbers do not have a very pretty viewing at the IWL. </p><p>Out of the eight editions played so far, teams from Karnataka, (only Kickstart FC) have managed to finish as runners-up, their best finish, only once. </p><p>“In Bengaluru, if you compare the IWL and the KWL, the quality is very, very low. There are only three to four teams who compete and the rest of the teams are just participating.”</p><p>From a different perspective, things look bright. However, when you dig deep, the supply chain for the future is main talking point. Or is there a supply chain for talent in Karnataka?</p><p>“If you go to Manipur, Kolkata or Tamil Nadu, the kids are playing football from the age of 10. Whereas here (Karnataka), that focus isn’t there. Especially for girls.”</p><p>The Karnataka State Football Association (KSFA) needs to accept that women’s football in the state isn’t good enough. Certain initiatives -- be it with financial or structural -- maybe the way forward. </p><p>Furthermore, the obsession for overnight results -- love for plucking a flower before it fully blossoms also needs to stop. And for Karnataka, time seems to be running out. </p>