This photo taken from the AFC's official website shows an Asian Football Confederation Women's Committee meeting.

KUALA LUMPUR — The AFC Women's Football Committee has recommended India as the hosts of 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup following a meeting here on Wednesday.

India was one of three candidates in the running to host Asia's premier women's football competition along with Chinese Taipei and Uzbekistan, and was considered to be the best to maximize the promotion of the women's game and could continue raising the standards of the tournament, the AFC said in a statement.

India offers the best opportunities to build the event commercially as well as increasing the value and India is also committed to developing the women's game in the country and while all three were strong bids, India stands out

Mahfuza Akhter Kiron, Chairman, The AFC Women's Football Committee 

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Committee chairman Mahfuza Akhter Kiron said: "This is the most important and prestigious competition in women's football in Asia. The last edition was a major step forward for the women's game in Asia. It was played in Jordan, the first time a West Asian nation had hosted the event. Now we are looking to build on that legacy."

"India offers the best opportunities to build the event commercially as well as increasing the value and India is also committed to developing the women's game in the country and while all three were strong bids, India stands out," she said.

The Committee decided that the expanded AFC Women's Asian Cup -- from eight to 12 teams -- will be played in three groups of four with a minimum of 25 matches with eight teams qualifying for the newly introduced quarterfinals.

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Dates of the tournament are likely to be in late October and early November 2022.

AFC also said its Women's Champions League, following the successful pilot program in South Korea in November 2019, will continue in 2020 with a maximum six invited clubs.

In 2021 and 2022, there will be eight invited clubs and by 2023 and 2024, this will grow to a minimum of 12 which will be open to all member associations and in 2025, it will be consolidated to 16 teams and by then an AFC Women's Club Competition ranking will have been devised, AFC said.