Kozhikode, Dec 7 (PTI) Defending champions Gokulam Kerala FC will face Sethu FC in the opening match of the seventh Indian Women's League (IWL) football here on Friday.

For the first time, the IWL will be played in a double round-robin format on a home-and-away basis. All the previous six seasons were held at a central venue.

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Seven teams will battle it out across the country to be crowned champions of the biggest-ever IWL season, lasting over three months. The league will end on March 24, 2024.

The other teams in the league are HOPS FC, East Bengal, Odisha FC, Kickstart FC and Sports Odisha.

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Gokulam Kerala have won the last three IWL titles. The Malabarians have amassed a total of 27 wins and two draws in 29 games. PTI PDS

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)