CONRAD DIAS
Ranchi, Oct 6: Six players from Jharkhand – Ashtam Oraon, Neetu Linda, Anjali Munda, Anita Kumari, Poornima Kumari and Sudha Ankita Tirkey – have been selected for the India U-17 team for the upcoming FIFA World Cup to be held from October 11.
Notably, this will also be the first time when a player from Jharkhand, Ashtam Oraon, will lead the Indian side during the multi-nation event.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren also congratulated the six players for getting included in the Indian team for the World Cup.
“Many many congratulations and blessings to all the players selected in the Indian team for the FIFA U-17 Women’s Football World Cup. Hearty congratulations to the daughters of Jharkhand who have been selected for the World Cup. The organised training for the Under-17 team in Jamshedpur for almost 2 years was fruitful. Congratulations and Johar again to the entire team,” an official press release by the CM read.
During the lockdown in 2020, the players of Jharkhand selected in the Indian team for FIFA U-17 had to return to Jharkhand from Goa. Due to the weak financial condition of most of the players, preparations were affected. During that time, the Jharkhand CM directed the Sports Department to arrange for the training of the selected state players for the FIFA competition.
Soon, the players were brought to Ranchi and provided medical facilities and were kept in the Government Guest School. According to the menu of the national team, arrangements for food and camp at Morabadi Football Stadium and two coaches were arranged for them.
Moreover, football kits were provided by the Sports Department and T-shirts were provided by UNICEF. UNICEF had roped in selected players as Champions of Change for Child Rights.
They had trained them in the form of technical support given to the government on issues like child rights, adolescent girls, the need for proper nutrition, menstruation, hygiene, mental health and psychosocial counselling etc.
The president of the Jharkhand Football Association Mithilesh Kumar Thakur said, “It has been our dream that more than half the players in women’s football should be from Jharkhand. This dream is now coming true as six players from our state have been selected for the World Cup. It is a matter of pride and happiness for us.”
The FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup will start on October 11 and the final will be played on October 30.
