Official logo of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup India launched

PTI, Jul 20, 2021, 12:51 PM IST

New Delhi: The tournament logo of next year’s Women’s Asia Cup to be held in India was unveiled by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) on Tuesday.

The tournament will be held in Mumbai and Pune from January 20 to February 6.

The 2022 edition has been expanded to 12 teams – four more than the last four editions. It will also feature a newly introduced quarterfinal stage for the first time in Asian women’s football history.

”Creating an unmistakable connection between Asian football fans and the competition, the AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022TM logo has been adapted from the original logomark featuring the tournament’s distinctive trophy as the centrepiece, which was introduced at the last edition in Jordan 2018,” AFC said in a media release.

”The concept of the ‘swirl’ surrounding the trophy was inspired by the national flags and colours of playing kits in Asia, and the iconic stadiums in which the Women’s Asian Cup is played in,” it added.

Local elements of the host member association have been infused into the India 2022 tournament specific logo. The maroon in the logo takes inspiration from the Warli artworks – a tribal art form mostly preserved by the tribal people from the northern Sahyadri ranges in India and in the host State of Maharashtra, where the hue of red and maroon often forms the base of the paintings.

Similarly, the silver in the logo is a testimony to the importance of silver jewellery in Indian households and the beauty and elegance of the precious metal.

The finishing pays tribute to the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, which delivers the highest level of women’s football in the continent while being a qualifying tournament for the FIFA women’s World Cup.

Five Asian teams will clinch their spots to join Australia during the tournament and two intercontinental playoff places are also up for grabs ahead of the historic cross Confederation and newly expanded 32-team FIFA women’s World Cup Australia/New Zealand 2023.