Perth, Feb. 25 -- Long before the final whistle in Thailand confirmed India's place in the continental showpiece event six months ago, Sangita Basfore had already manifested the journey in her mind as something much bigger than just qualifying for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Asian Cup.

At the very start of last year's qualifying campaign, while the immediate objective for the India women's national team was to reach the Asian Cup, Sangita's focus stretched one step further. For her, the Asian Cup was never the destination. It was the gateway to the FIFA Women's World Cup. The Asian Cup, hosted by Australia, will start from March 1 this year and will go on till March 21.

That forward-thinking mindset defined her campai...