Kolkata, March 25 : Twelve teams will feature in the Hero Indian Women’s League to be held in Bhubaneswar from April 15, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced on Friday. The teams will fight it out for the top prize in Indian women’s football in a league format till May 26, with the champions getting entry into the next edition of the AFC Women’s Club Championship. The matches will be played at the Kalinga Stadium, the Seventh Battalion Ground and the Capital Ground. Defending Champions Gokulam Kerala FC, who have made the cut for the the league as the champions of Kerala will also be joined by the champion teams from 10 other states – Odisha Police (Odisha), Hans Women FC (Delhi), Kickstart FC Karnataka (Karnataka), Gokulam Kerala FC (Kerala), Sethu Madurai (Tamil Nadu), PIFA Sports Colaba FC (Maharashtra), Mata Rukmani FC (Chhattisgarh), Sirvodem Sports Club (Goa), Indian Arrows (AIFF’s Developmental Team), SSB Women FC (West Bengal), Sports Odisha (Odisha) and one club from the Hero IWL Qualifiers. The qualifiers of the Hero IWL will take place in New Delhi from April 1 to 5, where four clubs – Guwahati City FC, Golazo FC, ARA FC, and YWC will lock horns at the Ambedkar Stadium in around-robin format with the top team proceeding to the tournament proper. “It’s great that we are being able to have the Hero IWL once again, and that too in Odisha, a state that has so closely been linked with Indian football over the past,” said AIFF Leagues and Development CEO Sunando Dhar. “We will have the Hero IWL in a league format this time, which will allow the clubs to play more matches, and the champion teams from all the states will be fighting it out for the top prize.” PC SSP