India’s first Transgender Football League launched in Kolkata on December 20, drawing 200+ players from 16 teams in an eight-day tournament celebrating inclusion, skill, and visibility amid growing calls for transgender rights in sports.
India’s inaugural Transgender Football League launched on December 20, 2025, in Kolkata, featuring 16 teams and over 200 transgender players competing for the Transgender Cup.
Organised by the West Bengal Transgender Persons Welfare Board in partnership with the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the eight-day tournament at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan celebrates inclusion and visibility.
Players expressed unprecedented empowerment, with officials hailing it as a milestone for transgender rights; no major incidents reported as matches progress smoothly into semifinals.
A Vibrant Launch with Record Participation
The tournament erupted into life with colourful opening ceremonies at Kolkata’s iconic Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, a 120,000-capacity stadium usually reserved for international matches.
Over 200 transgender athletes from across India-spanning ages 18 to 45-fielded 16 teams, including powerhouses like the Kolkata Trans Warriors, Chennai Rainbow Strikers, Mumbai Pride FC, and Delhi United Queens.
Matches unfold daily from 9am to 5pm, blending high-energy football with cultural performances featuring folk dances and rainbow flags.
Vital statistics underscore the event’s scale: more than 5,000 spectators attended the opener, with live streams on AIFF’s YouTube channel reaching 50,000 views in the first 24 hours. Player Divya Maligi, a 28-year-old striker from Bengaluru who once faced rejection from local clubs, beamed, “We’ve never felt more seen-football gives us a platform to dream beyond discrimination.
For the first time, we’re not sidelined; we’re stars.” Tournament director Rajat Mitra, a former AIFF official, elaborated, “This is about skill, not stereotypes. These athletes train rigorously, often juggling day jobs as tailors or performers.
They’re role models proving transgender talent thrives when given a chance.” West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas officiated the kick-off, stating, “This league aligns with our vision of sports for all, fostering unity in diversity.”
Empowerment Through Grassroots Training
Beyond the pitches, the league humanises its participants through dedicated support systems. Since 2023, the West Bengal Transgender Persons Welfare Board has run free training camps in Kolkata, partnering with local coaches to build skills in dribbling, tactics, and fitness.
Many players, like Chennai’s captain Priya Singh, credit these sessions for transforming lives: “I was homeless two years ago; now I lead my team. This isn’t just a game-it’s survival and hope.”
The event offers cash prizes totalling ₹5 lakh, plus scholarships for top scorers to pursue coaching certifications, ensuring long-term impact.
Health and welfare tents provide free medical check-ups, counselling, and hormone therapy consultations, addressing common challenges like access to gender-affirming care.
No injuries or disruptions marred the first four days, with semifinals slated for December 26, building anticipation for the December 28 final.
From Legal Milestones to Historic First
This league emerges from decades of advocacy amid systemic barriers. The landmark 2014 NALSA judgment by the Supreme Court recognised transgender persons as a “third gender” with equal rights, yet sports bodies often lagged, citing eligibility concerns.
Kerala pioneered with a transgender cricket league in 2023, but football-a national obsession-lacked a national platform until now. The 2019 Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act further mandated equal opportunities, spurring state initiatives.
Grassroots efforts intensified post-pandemic, with transgender welfare boards in states like Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu hosting trials that fed into this tournament.
Organisers scouted talent via social media drives on Instagram and WhatsApp groups, drawing participants from remote areas like Manipur and Odisha. Globally, it echoes events like the U.S.
Trans Football League, but India’s version stands out for government backing, signalling policy shifts under the National Sports Policy 2024 emphasising inclusivity.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The Logical Indian hails this league as a triumph of empathy over exclusion, weaving transgender lives into the fabric of national sports and nurturing harmony through shared fields of play.
It dismantles prejudice, one goal at a time, urging India towards a society of kindness and coexistence where every voice scores.
