Jharkhand’s Sumati Kumari from the rebel-hit Bharno block of Gumla district has been selected in the 23-member Indian squad for the upcoming Asian Football Confederation Women’s Asian Cup.

In the process, Sumati became the first woman footballer from Jharkhand to find a berth in the senior women’s Indian team for the international tournament which would be played in different venues across Maharashtra from January 20 to February 6.

Praising the feat, Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren congratulated Sumati and extended best wishes for the competition.

The 18-year-old Sumati, who plays in striker position hails from Londra village of Bharno block under Gumla district. Sumati’s father Firu Oraon and mother Saniyaro Devi are farmers by profession.

Sumati is the youngest among six siblings.

In recent years, Sumati has shown her sports performance in Bhutan, Hong Kong and Turkey in the under-15 category in the SAIF game at the international level. In three countries, Sumati has scored three, two and two scores (goals) respectively

Sumati, from the St Patrick High School in Gumla, was part of the seven-member Jharkhand women footballers picked for India’s under-17 coaching camp who were brought back from their homes in 2020 on the chief minister’s intervention to Morabadi training centre in Ranchi for dietary support and training following reports of Covid pandemic and abrupt halt to national camps was hampering their diet and training.

She is a product of the district residential sports centre and since May 2020 is being fully looked after by the state government.

Later, the Jharkhand government with efforts of Soren also hosted Indian women’s squad for three months in Jamshedpur last year as part of its effort to empower women in sports.