Jharkhand offers to host Indian U-17 women’s football team for their WC boot camp

RANCHI: The Jharkhand government has offered to host the women’s football team in Jamshedpur for their preparations for the upcoming Fifa U-17 World Cup, which is due to be played in India in February next year.
State department of sports, arts, culture and youth affairs has written to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and sought to host the national team in Jamshedpur.Officials said the AIFF has given its in-principle approval for the same.
“The AIFF has given its in-principle approval. We have sought the schedule of the team but we are yet to get it,” state sports director Zeeshan Qamar told TOI on Thursday. “We have proposed to host the U-17 national women’s team in Jamshedpur,” he added. Notably, Jharkhand had first proposed to host the team in July last year. Originally slated to take place last year, the world cup has been postponed to February next year due to Covid-19 pandemic.
In August this year, Jharkhand hosted the senior national women’s football team as it prepared for the AFC Women’s Asia Cup 2022. The camp, which began on August 16, is to continue till February next year. The senior team is currently in Brazil to participate in a four-nation tournament as a dress rehearsal for next year’s event.
The state government has been pushing for a long-term association with the AIFF for long term development of women’s football in Jharkhand.
On Wednesday, the government went out of its way to ensure that the ban issued by the AIFF on Jharkhand Football Association’s (JFA) participation in the upcoming Santosh Trophy, which is due to commence from December 3, is lifted. The AIFF had banned JFA after the latter violated protocols and submitted the details of four squads (including two men and two women) in place of two.
“The AIFF protocols mandate that the state associations need to shortlist two teams, one men and another women, for the tournament. However, due to the internal bickering between JFA officials, they shortlisted four and attracted a ban. The AIFF lifted the ban on pursuance of the government and on our request, two national selectors were brought in to select the players for the men and women’s squads,” a senior officer said.