Odisha defenders Manisa Panna and Juli Kishan have been selected to represent the Indian team in the Womens Olympic Qualifier Round 1, which is scheduled to be played in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic from April 4 to 7. A 22-member Indian Senior Women National Team, featuring Manisa and Juli, was announced by the All India Football Federation yesterday.

Apart from India, the hosts Kyrgyz Republic are the only other team in Group G after Turkmenistan pulled out of the tournament. The two teams will play each other twice on April 4 and April 7, 2023.

The Blue Tigresses will reach the Kyrgyz Republic from Uzbekistan, where they played a friendly match against the Uzbekistan National team as part of the preparations for the Olympic qualifier. The Senior Indian Women National Team also played two friendly games in Jordan.

The Indian women football team is currently placed 61st in the FIFA rankings. The Kyrgyz Republic are world No. 124. In the first round, 26 Asian teams will play. They have been divided into five groups of four and two groups of three teams.

The seven group winners from the first round will join five highest-ranked teams of Asia - North Korea, Japan, Australia, China and South Korea - in the second round of the Paris 2024 Olympic womens football qualifiers to be held in October.

The three group winners and one best-placed runner-up from the second round will play for the two spots for Paris 2024 Olympics in the final round to be held in November-December 2023.

For the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, AFC Olympic qualifying tournament for women consisted of four rounds. India made it to the second round of the tournament but lost out to Myanmar on goal difference.

While the Indian men football team has made four appearances at the Olympic Games, the Indian women football team is yet to make its debut at the quadrennial event.

INDIA SENIOR WOMEN TEAM: Goalkeepers: Sowmiya Narayansamy, Shreya Hooda and Elangbam Panthoi. Defenders: Ashalata Devi, Sweety Devi, Ritu Rani, Ranjana Chanu, Michel Castanha, Dalima Chhibber, Manisa Panna and Juli Kishan. Midfielders: Shilky Devi Hemam, Anju Tamang, Indumathi Kathiresan, Sangita Basfore and Karthika Angamuthu. Forwards: Grace Dangmei, Soumya Guguloth, Renu, Karishma Shirvoikar, Sandhiya Ranganathan and Apurna Narzary. Head Coach: Thomas Dennerby.
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PHOTO: Undated file picture of Odisha women football internationals, Manisa Panna (Right) and Juli Kishan.