India finished runners-up in the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) U-16 Womens Championship as they lost to Bangladesh in the nerve-wracking final, via penalty shootout at the ANFA Complex in Lalitpur, Nepal today. Bangladesh won the shootout 3-2 after play in the regulation time ended in a 1-1 draw.
India qualified for the final by finishing second at the league stage with six points, winning two games and losing one. They earlier trounced Bhutan 7-0 and Nepal 10-0, but lost to Bangladesh 1-3.
Two players from Odisha represented the 23-member Indian U-16 Women Team in this championship. They were: left-back Rupashree Munda and midfielder Ritu Badaik. Both Rupashree and Ritui were semi-finalists in the Junior Tier-1 and Sub Junior Tier-2, respectively.
Badaik netted seven goals, including four in a single game against Chandigarh. Rupashree belongs to Joda in Keonjhar district and hons her skills at Sports Hostel Sundargarh, under the coaching of Hruday Ranjan Singh. Rutu hails from Kuarmunda in Sundargarh district and trains at Nita Ambani Football Academy in Bhubaneswar.
This is the first time the SAFF tournament was held in the U-16 age category. India had twice won the SAFF U-15 Womens Championship in 2018 and 2019, beating Bangladesh in the final on both occasions.
INDIA U-16 WOMEN FOOTBALL TEAM:
Goalkeepers: Konjengbam Tamphasana Devi, Munni, Surajmuni Kumari.
Defenders: Amrita Ghosh, Bonifilia Shullai, Divyani Linda, Elizabed Lakra, Gauri Gurav, Rheanna Liz Jacob, Rupashree Munda, Sarangthem Alena Devi.
Midfielders: Anita Dungdung, Anushka Kumari, Anwita Raghuraman, H Yashica, Longjam Nira Chanu, Ritu Badaik, Shveta Rani, Thanda Moni Baskey.
Forwards: Gurleen Kaur, Gurnaz Kaur, Neha Saji, Pearl Fernandes.
Head Coach: Biby Thomas Muttath; Assistant Coach: Nivetha Ramadass; Goalkeeper Coach: Jasmeet Singh.
INDIA RESULTS:
1 March 2024: India (Shveta Rani 6, Pearl Fernandes 13, 26, Anushka Kumari 17, 27, 40, Anwita Raghuraman 61) beat Bhutan 7-0.
5 March 2024: India (Anushka Kumari 55) lost to Bangladesh (Alpi Akter 9, Sauravi Akanda Prity 79, Arpita Biswas 89) 1-3.
7 March 2024: India (Anita Dungdung 2, Pearl Fernandes 14, 43, Anushka Kumari 22, Bonifilia Shullai 22, Gurleen Kaur 32, 77, Min Maya Shrestha 46-OG, Gurnaz Kaur 58, Rheanna Liz Jacob 79) beat Nepal 10-0.
10 March 2024 (Final): India (Anushka Kumari) drew with Bangladesh (Mariam Binte Hanna 71) 1-1. Shootout: India (Shveta Rani, Anwita Raghuraman) lost to Bangladesh (Mariam Binte Hanna, Thuinuye Marma, Sathi Munda) 2-3.
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PHOTO: File pictures of Rupashree Munda (Left) and Ritu Badaik.