New Delhi, Mar 16 (IANS): Senior women's national football team head coach Thomas Dennerby on Thursday named a 23- member squad that will play friendly matches in Jordan and Uzbekistan in March.
The Indian team will play games in Jordan between March 17 to 22, and in Uzbekistan between March 23 to 29.
The Blue Tigresses will be playing these matches in preparation for the team's participation in Round 1 of the AFC Women's Olympic Qualifiers. India, placed in Group G, will take on hosts Kyrgyz Republic and Turkmenistan in a round robin format from April 3-11.
The seven group winners from the first round of the qualifiers will join Asia's five highest-ranked teams -- DPR Korea, Japan, Australia, China and the Republic of Korea -- in the second round of the Paris 2024 Olympic women's football qualifiers to be held in October.
As per AIFF media release, the squad for the Olympic qualifying tournament will be named after the friendlies in Jordan and Uzbekistan.
India squad for friendlies:
Goalkeepers: Sowmiya Narayanasamy, Shreya Hooda and Elangbam Panthoi Chanu.
Defenders: Ashalata Devi Loitongbam, Sweety Devi Ngangbam, Ritu Rani, Ranjana Chanu Sorokhaibam, Michel Castanha, Dalima Chhibber, Manisa Panna and Juli Kishan.
Midfielders: Shilky Devi Hemam, Anju Tamang, Indumathi Kathiresan, Sangita Basfore, Roja Devi Asem, Karthika Angamuthu and Kashmina.
Forwards: Grace Dangmei, Renu, Karishma Shirvoikar, Sandhiya Ranganathan and Apurna Narzary.