New Delhi, Feb 3 (IANS): Sabitra Bhandari, the prolific Nepali striker who has taken the Indian Women's League (IWL) 2019-20 by storm with her dazzling scoring form, has lauded the Indian Women's Football structure on the sidelines of the ongoing campaign in Bengaluru.

"All India Football Federation (AIFF) has categorically invested time and money in women's football and that's why they have scaled a newer height. The foundation of women's football in India is what we in Nepal look up to. I feel it'll improve manifold in the near future," Sabitra opined during an exclusive chat with www.the-aiff.com.

"In Nepal, only three teams provide women players for the National Team. The pool is relatively small, and the number of players is not very high as well whereas in India, the talent pool is huge which gives everyone a substantial chance to showcase her talent to get noticed. This makes a huge difference in the long run," she continued.

The Gokulam Kerala FC striker has already scored 11 goals in 3 matches including two fivers against Kenkre and Odisha Police in their last two outings. She was very much in the thick of action in the last season also when she plied her trade for the champions Sethu FC.

She also praised the Hero Indian Women's League which has made her a "better player and the experience of playing alongside the country's best footballers has been immense".

"Hero IWL has improved me as a player. I had a dream of playing alongside Bala (Devi) and Kamala (Devi). Last year, I played against both of them and this year, I'm in the same team with Kamala. Every day, I get to learn so much from her," Sabitra added.

"Bala has been an inspiration to all of us. I also have a long-cherished dream of playing outside of Asia. Bala's success story will inspire more girls in Southeast Asia to play football seriously."