The 2022 FIFA Under-17 women’s World Cup is set to kick off on 11 October across three cities in India – Bhubaneswar, Margao, and Navi Mumbai. This is the first time India is hosting the tournament, and also participating in it, after hosting the men’s event back in 2017.
With the tournament being held in India, the game will now garner even greater attention, fuelling the aspirations of many young girls and boys who dream of making it big in the sport.
Though the road to success may seem strenuous, the game certainly repays in its own mysterious way, and no one knows this more than Astam Oraon. Hailing from a remote village in the Gumla district of Jharkhand, Astam is the captain of the India under-17 team.
Astam, who has played several international games for the country at the junior level is still a rising star but her contributions to the nation have not gone unnoticed. Her sacrifices and love for the game bore fruit even for her small village as the local administration decided to build a road all the way to her home.
“My mother told me about the road being constructed, and I feel happy that something was being done in my name,” Astam said.
Apart from Astam, the under-17 team also has another star and wondergirl– Shilky Devi from Moirang village in Manipur. The young footballer has been part of both India’s junior and senior teams. At age of 12, Shilky was India’s joint top-scorer in the 2018 SAFF under-15 women’s championship.
Meanwhile, the Indian team under head coach Thomas Dennerby had announced a 21-member squad for the upcoming World Cup last Wednesday, 5 October. India have been drawn in Group A alongside USA, Morocco and Brazil.
The Young Tigresses will begin their World Cup campaign against USA on 11 October. They will next meet Morocco and Brazil on 14 and 17 October respectively. All the matches will be held at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
Catch all the action of FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2022™ from October 11, 2022, Tuesday, LIVE & Exclusive on Sports18, Sports18 Khel, JioCinema and VOOT.
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