From a Correspondent
Shillong, Jan 12: The Indian women’s tiol football team has been clubbed with Afghanistan and Bangladesh for the 12th South Asian Games 2016 women’s football event, which will take place here from February 7-15.
All the matches will be held at the revamped Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Polo, here, with half of the games to be played under floodlights. The stadium has played host to matches of the I-League, India’s top level football tourment, as well as the regiol T Ao Memorial Football Tourment and this will be its biggest stage thus far.
Defending champions India, Afghanistan and Bangladesh make up Group A, while Group B comprises Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Women’s football was introduced at the 11th South Asian Games in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in 2010. India took the gold medal, having beaten Nepal in the fil. Bangladesh claimed the bronze.
The first match of this year’s tourment will be between Group B’s Maldives and Sri Lanka at 2:00pm on February 7, followed India’s opener at 7:00pm against Afghanistan.
The semi-fils are scheduled for February 13, followed by the third-place playoff and grand fil on February 15.
The Indian women’s team will have a preparatory camp for the forthcoming Games in Shillong from January 17 to February 3. Thirty-two players have been shortlisted for the camp, which will be overseen by tiol coach Sajid Dar.