Women's Football

Golden Year for Manipuri Women:

It was a sweet revenge for Manipuri girls over their opponents who dared to challenge their supremacy in sub junior football in recent years. Manipur defeated last year's winners Orissa 2-0 in the final of 4th Girl's (U-17) Sub Junior National Football Championship 2007-2008 at Diphu in Assam (April 25-May 11, 2008).

N. Montesori Chanu and E. Bindyarani Devi scored for Manipur. The duo must be doubly
happy that they were part of the team that lost to Orissa in the last edition.

Manipur had won the first and second editions of the tournament before Orissa won it in the third edition. Interestingly, all the finals so far had been between Manipur and Orissa. In the first edition at Udhagamandalam in Tamil Nadu in 2003, Manipur beat Orissa 1-0 in the final. In the second edition in 2004 at Dindigul in Tamil Nadu from December 9-24, Manipur had won 4-0 with a hat-trick from Bala Devi and Lalvarmoi Hmar scoring the other goal.

In the third edition in Chandigarh (July 10-27, 2006), the Manipur team led by international Bembem Devi and coached by yesteryear star Chaoba Devi returned second best losing to Orissa 0-1. This year, Manipur had beaten Chandigarh 17-0, Goa 6-0, Kerala 11-0, Mizoram 5-0 en-route to the semifinal where they beat Tamil Nadu 1-0.

The sub junior win also completed Manipur's domination in the women's football arena with the small state winning two other national competitions in the AIFF calendar -- U-19 and senior nationals. In the 16th Women's National Football Championship 2008 at Haldia in West Bengal from February 29 to March 16, Manipur beat Orissa 4-1 in the final while in the last edition of the Girls' under-19 National Football Championships held in Pondicherry from January 3 to 20, Manipur defeated Tamil Nadu 5-1 in the final.

Manipuri girls made up of more than half of national squad in U-17, U-19 and seniors. Players like Ngangom Bala Devi, Bembem Devi, Romi Devi Ashem and Lalvarmoi Hmar have graduated from U-17 to U-19 and now in the senior national squad.

Important members of Manipur team in the last three editions of U-17 national championship:
2nd edition (at Dindigul in Tamil Nadu from December 9 to 24, 2004): Bembem Devi, Ng. Bala Devi, A. Romi Devi, Kamala Devi, N. Roma Devi, L. Naobi Devi, Prameshwori Devi, Surbala Devi, Itarani Devi, Radharani Devi, Ranjita Devi, Lalvarmoi Hmar.
3rd edition (in Chandigarh from July 10 to 27, 2006): Y. Kamala Devi, M. Bembem Devi, N. Chanchan Chanu, N. Montesori Chanu, M. Mandakini Devi, N. Binodini Devi, T. Nungshitombi
Devi, W. Radharani Devi, H. Bijeta Devi, E Bindyarani Devi, Ksh Naocha Devi, I Itabala Devi
4th edition (at Diphu in Assam from April 25 to May 11, 2008): Y. Premi Devi, Ksh. Naocha
Devi, Y. Chandrajini Devi, E. Bindryarani Devi, N. Montesori Devi, K. Rameshori Devi, T.
Nungshitombi Devi.

India U-17 squad for the AFC U-17 women's championship in April 2005:
Goalkeeper: Wangkhem Thabal Devi (captain), Ahalaya Munda, Neelam Khalko
Defenders: Alochana Senapati, Romi Devi Ashem, Thangjam Ranjita, Tuli Goon, Suprana
Supraya Samal, Gulti Choudhary, Manpreet Sidhu
Midfielders: Chingtham Sanathoi Chanu, Lalvarmoi Hmar, Maibam Bembem Devi, Sasmita Malik, Manpreet Kaur, Suganya Raju
Forwards: Sapna Guria, Ngangom Bala Devi, Sangita Patra, Nameirakpam Roma Devi
Chief Coach: Moirangthem Ratan Kumar Singh

India U-19 squad for the AFC U-19 women's championship in Novemebr 2006:
Goalkeeper: Wangkhem Thabal Devi, Tarini Singh, Neelam Khalko
Defenders: Tuli Goon (captain), Surbala Devi Khumukcham, Alochana Senapati, Sabita Singh, Valarmita Ravi, Bijay Laxmi Sahoo, Romi Devi Ashem
Midfielders: Maibam Bembem Devi, Manpreet Kaur, Asha Rani Laishram, Chingtham Sanathoi Chanu, Sasmita Malik, Prameshwori Devi Irom, Shradhanjali Sahoo, Rinki Kujur, Nameirakpam Roma Devi
Forwards: Ngangom Bala Devi, Manpreet Kaur Sidhu, Lalvarmoi Hmar, Anuradha Chetri
Chief Coach: Moirangthem Ratan Kumar Singh

Indian women's senior squad for the AFC Women's Asia Cup Qualifiers 2008 in October 2007:
Goalkeeper: Ronibala Chanu Lourembam (Manipur), Prasanthi Pradhan
Defenders: Madhu Kumari (Bihar), Romi Devi Ashem (Manipur), Nameirakpam Geeta Rani Chanu (Manipur), Thoi Devi (Manipur), Alochana Senapati (West Bengal), Gulti Choudhary (West Bengal), Jayanti Barua, Ansha
Midfielders: Gitanjali Kuntia (Orissa), Oinam Bembem Devi (Manipur), Ngangom Bala Devi (Manipur), Lalvarmoi Hmar (Manipur), Gayatri Mallick (West Bengal), Rinku Ghosh (West Bengal), Pinky Bompal Magar (Orissa), Amoolya Jayaram
Forwards: Susmita Malick (West Bengal), Domiana Gomendes (Goa), Shilpy Deb (West Bengal),
Jagdeep Kaur (Punjab), Vasanthy Somu
Chief Coach: Premkanta Singh