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

U-17 Girls' National Football

Orissa, Haryana win matches:
Diphu, May 1: In two group A quarter final league match of the U-17 girls national football championship here on Thursday, Orissa prevailed over Tamil Nadu 3-0 while Hariyana edged past Sikkim 1-0.
With the wins both Orissa and Hariyana brightened their chances of entering into the last four stage from the four-team group.
In two matches of group B tomorrow Goa will play Manipur while Kerala will take on Mizoram.

Sub Jr. Girls' National Football

Manipur win; Assam, Tripura draw:
Diphu, Apr 29: Manipur beat Chandigarh 17-0, Orissa blanked out Jharkhand 3-0, while Assam and Tripura held Haryana and Bihar respectively in 1-1 draws in the four matches of the 4th sub-junior (under-17) girls' national football championship on Tuesday.
Goal getters for Manipur included Y Kamala (3), Bindyarani (4), Tejibala (2), bembem (3) and one each by Rinaroy, Meera, Santhalembi, Komlapati and Binodini. Manipur will play Goa in its first quarter final match on May 3 .
Orissa striker Gomati Bara displayed netted all the three goals for her team.
Tripura team striker Rita Karmakar scored a goal in the 20th minute. However, Bihar got their equaliser in the 70th minute from Ritika.
In the 4th match, Haryana striker Priyanka scored a goal in the 28th minute. Assam striker Sangita Boro scored the equaliser in the 75th minute.

National U-17 Girls’ Football

Mizoram girls trounce Delhi:

Diphu, Apr 28: Mizoram defeated Delhi 9-0 in Monday's league match of the 4th sub-junior (under-17) girls’ national football championship at Karbi Anglong Sports Association ground here.
Striker C.K. Lungthui ruffled the net four times, while L. Feli netted three and Ramthanpui struck twice to fashion the massive victory for Mizoram in the utterly one-sided affair.
Goa blanked out Chattishgarh 3-0. Monica Kafta scored in the 30th minute, which was followed by a brace by Stacy Cardozo in the 35th and 73rd minutes. In the other league matches today, Tamil Nadu defeated J&K while Sikkim routed Madhya Pradesh.
Jharkhand meets Orissa, Bihar will play Tripura, Manipur takes on Chattisgarh and Assam will play Haryana on Tuesday.
Source: The Telegraph

National Sub Jr. Girls Football

Comprehensive win for Manipur girls:

Diphu, Apr 27: Manipur thrashed Chandigarh 19-0 in the 4th Under-17 Girls Sub-Junior National Football Championship here.

The first leg match between the two played today saw the Manipur team lay siege at the rival territory with Y Premi netting the opener only 48 seconds into the match with her first of two in the game.

Other scorers in the thumping victory for the team include Chanchan (five), Naocha (three), Nungshitombi (two), Chandrajini (two), Bidyarani (two), Montesori (two) and Kamala (one).The second leg tie between the two will be played on April 29.