CUTTACK 02-May-2016
India finish runners-up in AFC U-14 Girls Regional Championship (South & Central Zone) after suffering a 4-0 drubbing against Bangaladesh in the final at Dushanbe in Tajikistan yesterday. Earlier in the semifinal, India overcame Iran 4-3.
The India U-14 team, featuring three players from Odisha, blanked Nepal 9-0 to enter semifinals. India, however, started their campaign on a losing note as they went down to Bangladesh 1-3.
Banya Kabiraj, Nikita Bishi and Susmita Tanty were the three Odisha players, who represented India in the Asian championship. Former Odisha and India women team captain Sradhanjali also did duty for the National team as assistant coach. Y Thailand Devi of Manipur led the Indian team with Banya Kabiraj as her deputy.
As many as five players from Odisha had joined preparatory camp of the Indian probables, held at Gandhi Nagar (Gujarat) from March 7 to April 20. Among them, goalkeeper Namita Panna (Sundargarh) and forward Deepa Nayak (Cuttack) failed to make it to the Indian team.
INDIA RESULTS:
April 26: Bangladesh beat India (Sunita Munda in the 50th) 3-1.
April 27: India (Bannya Kabiraj 1st, Santhiya Vengadajalam 11th, Thailand Devi 13th, 18th, 44th; Niketa Bishi 30th, Kavi Prameshwari 39th, Sunita Munda 46th, 56th) beat Nepal 9-0.
April 30 (Semifinal): India (Sunita Munda 9th, 11th; Susmita Tanty 43rd, 58th) beat Iran (21st, 24th, 32n) 4-3.
May 1 (Final): Bangladesh beat India 4-0.
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PHOTO: Odisha players (From left) Banya Kabiraj, Nikita Bishi and Susmita Tanty with assistant coach Sradhanjali Samantaray (2nd from left) in Bhubaneswar on their return home from Dushanbe on May 3, 2016.
