BHUBANESWAR 13-Oct-2014 168
As many as five girls from Odisha have been included in the 23-member Indian squad for the AFC U-16 Women’s Championship (Qualifiers) to be held in Dhaka, Bangladesh from October 15 to 23. They are: Subha Darshini Patra, Eva Panna, Jabamani Tudu, Sasmita Behera and Srijana Tamang.
Former India woman football captain Sradhanjali Samantaray, who is also from Odisha and Maymol Rocky from Goa will accompany the squad as head coach and assistant coach respectively.
Placed in Group B along with United Arab Emirates (UAE), Jordan, Iran, and hosts Bangladesh, India will be opening their campaign against Iran at Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka on October 17. Hosts Bangladesh will lock horns with India in the next game two days later with UAE and Jordan following up next on October 21 and 23 respectively.
Only one team will make the cut from each of the four groups in the qualifying stage with the top four teams of the AFC U-16 Women’s Championship in China last year -- Japan, DPR Korea, China PR and Thailand – are already in the eight-nation Finals.
India for the record have never qualified for the main round barring the inaugural edition in 2005 where no qualification was required as only eight teams took part. In that edition, India finished third in Group A which also had 2009 champions South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia.
INDIAN SQUAD:
Goalkeepers: Subha Darshini Patra (Odisha), Shreya Hooda (Haryana), Linthoingambi Devi Maibam (Manipur).
Defenders: Thahenbi Devi Maharabam (Manipur); Eva Panna, JabamaniTudu, Sasmita Behera (all Odisha); Scindia Veganand Saundatikar (Goa), Karen Kenneth Pais (Mumbai), Amrita Kumari (Bihar).
Mid-fielders: Premi Chiru, Kashmina (both Manipur); Lifa Gama, Anline Sharmila Fernandes (both Goa); Nisha (Haryana), Srijana Tamang (Odisha), Atisha Pratap Singh (Delhi), Mansi Vakharia (Ahmedabad).
Forwards: Sushmita Bardhan (West Bengal), Daya Devi Heigrujam, Roja Devi Asem (both Manipur), Anushka Samuel (Delhi), Adhithi Rajagopal (Tamil Nadu).
Head coach: Maymol Rocky (Goa); Assistant coach: Sradhanjali Samantray (Odisha).
