New Delhi, Aug 23 (IANS): India women’s football national team coach Tarun Roy Saturday named a 22-member squad for the exposure tour to China ahead of the Incheon Asian Games next month.

The initial list of 31 players has been trimmed to 22 for the 15-day exposure tour from Aug 25 till Sep 9. They will travel to Incheon in South Korea directly from China.

The two-time SAFF champions are expected to play three practice matches against the top teams of the Chinese women’s Super League - Jiangsu Huatai and Shanghai SVT.

The teams are currently placed second and third respectively in the league table. Either of the two teams will play India twice.

The tentative dates of the three matches are Aug 29, Sep 2/3 and Sep 5/6.

Meanwhile, in the Incheon Asian Games India are in Group A along with the last Games’ bronze medallists South Korea, Thailand and Maldives.

India women last played in the Games back in 1998 where they failed to qualify from their group. This will only be their second appearance.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Okram Roshni Devi, Aditi Chauhan, Pushpa Tirkey

Defenders: Ashem Romi Devi, Ashalata Devi, Tuli Goon, Radharani Devi, Suprava Samal, Upamati Devi

Midfielders: Premi Devi, Amoolya Kamal, Mandakini Devi, Oinam Bembem Devi, Kamala Devi, Supriya Routray, Indumati Kathiresan

Forwards: Sasmita Malik, Prameshwori Devi, Dangmei Grace, Bala Devi, Jyoti Ann Burrett, Salam Rinaroy Devi.