Jaipur, June 8: Zinc Football Academy (ZFA) has made history by winning the Rajasthan League Senior Women’s ‘A’ Division 2025-26 championship in its inaugural season. The academy, located in Zawar, showcased remarkable dominance, defeating Real Jaipur FC 8-0 in their final league match to secure their first state-level title. Additionally, they achieved historic promotion to the Indian Women’s League 2 (IWL-2).
This is the first year of the Zinc Football Girls Academy, and with this impressive victory, ZFA has accomplished a significant milestone this season; earlier, the men’s team also won the Rajasthan League Senior Men’s ‘A’ Division title. Notably, the girls achieved this feat as the youngest team in the tournament, with an average age of just 15 years and 8 months.
The tournament, organized by the Rajasthan Football Association, featured the top five teams in the state: Real Jaipur FC, Magan Singh Rajvi FA, Jaipur City FC, Royal FC Jaipur, and Zinc Football Academy. The girls from Zinc Football displayed their prowess throughout the league, earning 21 points with 7 wins and only 1 loss from 8 matches, scoring a total of 24 goals while conceding just 5.
Winning against Real Jaipur FC was crucial for ZFA on the final match day, and the girls demonstrated maturity and courage. Midfielder Antara Dolui led the attack with a stunning hat-trick (3′, 20′, 35′), while winger Dangi Mardi added two excellent goals (15′, 36′). Goals from Priyanka (27′), Joha (46′), and Bindiya Kumari Meena (57′) secured the emphatic 8-0 victory. The outstanding performance of local talents from Zawar, such as Geet Meena, Bindiya Kumari Meena, Manisha Patel, and Savita Kalbeliya, highlighted that world-class sports talent exists in rural India when given the right platform.
Since its inception in 2025, the Zinc Football Girls Academy has had a successful year filled with trophies. Before winning this state-level historic title, the girls had already claimed victories in the ‘Doon Cup’, ‘Asmita League Cup’, and ‘DAV Under-19 Nationals’, marking their fourth major win in less than 12 months.
Dilip Singh Shekhawat, Secretary of the Rajasthan Football Association and Joint Secretary of the Rajasthan Olympics Association, congratulated the Zinc Football Girls Academy on their remarkable victory. He expressed his delight that the youngest team from Udaipur’s state-of-the-art academy competed fiercely against the top teams in Rajasthan and won the senior women’s league. He affirmed that these talented young players represent a bright future for football in Rajasthan and across India.
Established in 2017, the Zinc Football Academy is part of the Vedanta Zinc Football and Sports Foundation. It is a social initiative of Hindustan Zinc Limited (HZL) and has played a crucial role in nurturing grassroots football talent from rural India. Located in Zawar, this AIFF-recognized 3-star academy has trained over 5,000 young football players since its inception. It is also the largest residential football academy for girls in India, providing an excellent training environment. Beyond the sports field, the academy adopts a holistic approach to development, incorporating top-notch athletic coaching along with robust academic support and comprehensive personality development programs.
ZFA has emerged as a prestigious institution in youth football, consistently excelling in national competitions like the AIFF Youth League. The academy’s growing reputation is reflected in the success stories of players like Sahil Poonia, Prem Hansdak, and Rajroop Sarkar, who have represented India across various age groups.
Hindustan Zinc, a part of the Vedanta Group and the world’s largest integrated zinc producer, is advancing its vision for holistic community development through various social interventions and community development initiatives. Focused on promoting education, skill development, enabling sustainable livelihoods, empowering women, strengthening healthcare, and environmental conservation, Hindustan Zinc positively impacts the lives of over 2.6 million people across more than 4,100 villages. The academy, supported by The Football Link as a strategy and implementation partner, demonstrates a firm commitment to improving both Rajasthan and Indian football. It has promoted the sport for nearly five decades, starting from its football stadium in Zawar, where annual national football tournaments continue to be held. In addition to football, the company nurtures grassroots talent in sports such as athletics, kabaddi, and volleyball. Its Vedanta Zinc City Half Marathon has placed Udaipur on the global running map.