Two women footballers from Jharkhand have found spots in the 23-member Indian squad which will play friendly matches in the UAE and Bahrain.
Gumla girls Sumati Kumari and Astam Oraon are part of a preparatory camp for the AFC Women's Asian Cup to be held in India from January 20 to February 6 next year. The training is being held at the Flatlet ground in Jamshedpur. Both Sumati and Ashtami are making steady progress and have impressed chief coach Thomas Dennerby.
The duo have come a long way, after registering impressive runs in the India under-17 team which led to them being called up to the senior camp. The hail from poor families. Parents of Sumati and Astam are daily wagers.
Seventeen-year-old forward Sumati had the Indian women’s football world at her feet when she put the ball in the net an incredible 17 times in five games during the Junior Girls’ National Football Championship 2019-20. She has earlier worked with Dennerby at the under-17 level.
Defender Astam (16) has also shown a lot of promise and makes a strong presence in the backline.
The national team will travel to the UAE for two friendly matches against the United Arab Emirates on October 2 and the Tunisia national team two days later.
The squad will then head to Bahrain, where they will play two friendlies against the country's national team on October 10 and the Chinese Taipei national team on October 13.
"Friendly matches will help us to gauge how far the girls have progressed during the training camp. The squad will be pitted against some tough opponents," Dennerby said.
The team will travel to New Delhi on September 29, from where they will travel to the UAE.
Squad: Aditi Chauhan, Maibam Linthoingambi Devi, Shreya Hooda (Goalkeepers), Dalima Chhibber, Sweety Devi, Ritu Rani, Ashalata Devi, Ranjana Chanu, Michel Castanha, Manisa Panna, Astam Oraon (defenders), Sangita Basfore, Indumathi Kathiresan, Sanju, Martina Thokchom (midfielders), Dangmei Grace, Anju Tamang, Sandhiya Ranganathan, Soumya Guguloth, Manisha Kalyan, Sumati Kumari and Pyari Xaxa, Renu (forwards).
