Indian team of visually challenged women footballers to join Tokyo friendlies
The Hindu
Indian visually challenged women footballers travel to Tokyo for the Saitama Normalization Cup, determined to put up a good show.
The irrepressible spirit of the Indian team of visually challenged women footballers will see them travel to Tokyo on Thursday night to participate in the Saitama Normalization Cup. Despite being a series of friendly matches, the women footballers are determined to put up a good show. They have left no room for uncertainty, having joined a two-week training camp in Kochi.
The selection round for the entire Indian team, with participants drawn from every part of India, took place at the Kadvanathara Gama Football Grounds in December last year. They have been training for two weeks just ahead of their journey tomorrow, said one of the organisers.
The 10-member squad was announced after the selection trials in Kochi. They will play friendlies against Japan on February 17 and 18. The team is gearing up to put up a great fight with Japan who has won the top spot in world rankings.
Sunil J. Mathew, sporting director of Indian Blind Football Federation, said that India would be represented by an emerging team, while Japan is expected to field a much more experienced team. But our chances are high and “we hope to put up a strong performance”, he said ahead of the journey to Japan.
The organisers also said that the experience in Japan would be good as the Indian women’s team is enthusiastically preparing ahead of their participation in the World Grand Prix in Argentina this year.
The team members travelling to Tokyo on Thursday incldue Akshara Rana, Sheetal Kumari, Shefali Rawat (Uttarakhand), Sangeeta Metya (West Bengal) Komal Gaikwad (Maharashtra); goal-keepers Aparna E, (Kerala) and Kerin Kirubhai (Tamil Nadu). Mr. Mathew is the head coach while Sean C. V. is the assistant coach and goal guide, Nimmi Jose is the physiotherapist.