MARGAO: The Goa Football Association in collaboration with the All-India Football Federation will be organizing the Junior National Football U-18 Girls Championship from October 5 with the final on October 21, at Navelim ground, at 8 a.m. This will be the first National tournament for Girls/Women organized in Goa since 2003.
President of Goa Football Association (GFA), Elvis Gomes addressing a press conference in a city hotel, here, on Saturday said, “The matches will be held at two venues mainly, Village Panchayat ground, Raia and the Rosary ground, Navelim. There will be a total of 25 teams vying for the title. All the teams have been divided into eight groups and the eight winners of each group will then be pitted against each other in two groups of four each. The top two teams in each group will qualify to the semi-finals. The final will be held on October 21.”
The tournament is supported by Goa Dairy who have agreed to support the budding girls with goodies and refreshments. A total of 25 state teams have confirmed their participation.
Head of the GFA Women’s Football Committee, Juliana Gurjao e Colaco, who has taken charge of the overall organization of the tournament of said, “The Goa team is coached by AFC B License Coach, Shekhar Kerkar managed by Dakshata Shirodkar. D License Coach, Astrid Pereira will be the Assistant Coach. The team was selected from the best players who played in the GFA U-18 Girls tournament and from the open selection trials conducted after the tournament. The 33 probables selected went through a residential camp and then further a 10-day closed camp was held in Margao.”
Goa play their first match against Jammu and Kashmir on October 6, at Rosary ground, Navelim, at 7.30 a.m. The Goan girls play their second league match against Telangana on October 10 at the same venue.
The squad: Rhea Noronha, Ashika Gadekar, Wendy Dias, Cynthia Lobo, Scindia Saundatikar, Rebecca Mascarenhas, Genevie Fernandes, Dishna Kumar, Anline Fernandes, Cianna Lobo, Lifa Gama, Velanie Fernandes, Jesma Baptista, Avia Jean Vas, Annika Coelho, Marlat Cardozo, Sushmita Jadhav, Beverly Cardozo, Divya Tuyekar, and Annette Da Costa.
