The WE League has received applications from 17 clubs to participate in its inaugural season, the Japan Football Association said on Saturday.

The announcement is a positive omen for Japan’s newly formed professional women’s soccer league, which is slated to kick off in September 2021. Officials expected applications from around 13 teams, and league chair Kikuko Okajima said the number of entries was indicative of strong interest in the league.

“I would have been happy with 12 or 13 applications,” Okajima said during a Saturday morning news conference. “I thought that the number might be low because of the impact of the coronavirus, but 17 is a big number for us. I’m very glad that we’ve received applications from clubs that haven’t previously operated a women’s team.”