To take on Bhutan in opening encounter on 2nd February

The 23-member Indian National Team Coached by Sukla Dutta is all set to make a mark in the upcoming SAFF U19 Women’s Championship 2024 scheduled to take place on the artificial turf at the BSSS Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh from 2nd to 8th February, 2024. Bhutan, Nepal and hosts Bangladesh are the other three participating teams.

To be played in round robin league format, with the top two qualifying for the final, India will open their campaign against Bhutan on 2nd February. This will be followed by one against defending champions Bangladesh on 4th February and Nepal on 6th February.

India will be participating in the competition for the fifth time and only the second time in the U-19 age group championship. In the previous edition held in 2021 India’s young Tigresses ended on the runners-up side after losing to hosts Bangladesh by a solitary goal in the final. This came at the back of three wins in the group matches that were played against Sri Lanka (5-0), Bhutan (3-0), and Nepal (1-0) and a loss to the host (0-1). India’s sole success came in the U-18 Championship that was held in the year 2022 when it defeated arch rivals Bangladesh as host.

Sharing her thoughts soon about the preparation of her team soon after arrival at Dhaka, Indian Head coach Sukla Dutta, said “We had a brief 15 day camp in Goa before coming here. Yet, I am confident my girls will perform well in the SAFF Championship. They're good and they have a lot of qualities.” 

A prominent international during her playing days in the 1980s, Dutta who had scored eight international goals for India added, “The majority of the players in this team are from the earlier U17 batch. One good thing is that before joining the camp in Goa, most of these girls were busy playing in the ongoing IWL. So, they remained very much in practice and were playing matches. It will help because I don’t have to explain much about the technical and tactical parts. My main focus would be to tighten the unity of the team and work on the combination on the pitch.”

Like her players, the Indian Head Coach Sukla Dutta too spoke about her ambition about lifting the trophy for the country this year. “All the teams are strong and play good football, but my aim is to secure victory and get the trophy back to my country, coupled with delivering commendable performances. The tournament provides us with the extra motivation needed for our upcoming challenges and aids in our preparation. For this Unity and effective communication is very important for our players in match situations and the playing XI will change accordingly,” she said.

Indian captain Nitu Linda expressed her happiness that the coach has shown the trust in her to lead the team and hope to fulfil the expectation of their fans in the quest to glory. “We have prepared well for this prestigious tourney and now it’s time to perform tomorrow. The coaches have left the right instructions for us and we are ready to give our hundred percent on the pitch. All the teams have good knowledge, but the match against Bhutan tomorrow is very important because it will be our first match,” she said. 

Indian squad: 

Goalkeepers: Khushi Kumari, Anika Devi Sharubam, Hempriya Seram

Defenders: Heena Khatun, Vikshit Bara, Sonibia Devi Irom, Juhi Singh, Nishima Kumari

Midfielders: Shivani Toppo, Lalita Boypai, Akhila Rajan, Rivka Ramji, Arina Devi Nameirakpam, Cindy Remruatpuii Colney, Menaka Devi Lourembam, Sibani Devi Nongmeikapam, Thoibisana Chanu Toijam

Forwards: Babita Kumari, Nitu Linda (Captain), Sulanjana Raul, Neha, Pooja, Sahena TH

Head Coach: Sukla Dutta

India’s fixtures 

Friday, 2nd February:  India Vs Bhutan, 2.30 PM IST 
Sunday, 4th February: Bangladesh Vs India, 6.30 PM IST
Tuesday, 6th February: India Vs Nepal, 2.30 PM IST
Thursday, 8th February: Final (Top two teams), 5.30 PM IST