Five games. Eight goals scored. None conceded. HOPS FC went through the IWL 2 final round in Bengaluru without a blemish and booked their return to Indian Women's League football — one year after being relegated to the bottom of it.
That kind of turnaround doesn't happen by accident. The Delhi-based club overhauled their coaching setup before the season, bringing in Ravi Kumar Punia and senior coach Sonika Vijarniya to rebuild a squad that had just finished last in the IWL. The response was about as complete as you can get. They topped Group B in qualifying, won all four matches, then swept the final round with maximum points — 15 from 15 against Juba Sangha, Kemp FC, Krida Prabodhini, Mumbai Knights, and Suruchi Sangha.
The club that doesn't run like other clubs
HOPS FC is not your typical football setup. There are no corporate investors, no commercial backing. The club operates through the Dharam Foundation Trust, founded by government engineer Sanjay Yadav, who has been running football development programmes since 2008. Players receive free training, accommodation, medical support — including help for ACL and ligament surgeries — and assistance finding employment after football.
More than 60 players connected to the club have secured government and armed forces jobs through the sports quota. Over 40 girls have completed coaching or referee licensing courses. Several academy players have represented India at youth level, including at the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. These are not figures you see in a typical club's press release.
Sonika Vijarniya put it plainly: many of these players fight just to stay in the sport. The promotion rewards something bigger than a good qualifying campaign.
What this means for next season
HOPS FC are not a new name in the IWL. They reached the quarterfinals on debut, placed fifth the following season, then got relegated. That experience matters. They know what the top flight demands, and the defensive structure they showed across this campaign — five clean sheets in the final round alone — suggests Punia has built something with real rigour.
Whether they can stay up this time is the genuine question. The IWL is a step above what they faced in Bengaluru, and backing without corporate money puts a ceiling on squad investment. But a team that conceded zero across the entire final round isn't one you dismiss.
Punia credited squad discipline and belief. Vijarniya spoke about sacrifice. The numbers, though, make the clearest case: fifteen points, five wins, eight goals, nothing given away.
