National women’s football semifinals
GOLAGHAT (ASSAM): While first-timers Delhi will aim to beat all odds against heavyweights Manipur and reach their maiden final, it will be down to who blinks first between Jharkhand and Orissa in the two semifinals of the 20th Women’s National Championships in here on Saturday.
Delhi have been the surprise element of the Nationals with their superlative performance against the likes of two-time champions West Bengal and (on-paper) stronger opponents like Kerala and Bihar.
“We are pinching ourselves,” captain and India striker Jyoti Ann Burret told the All India Football Federation website on the eve of the semis.
According to the 24-year old marksman, Delhi coach Paritosh Sharma’s “modern outlook” has played a vital part in the team’s success.
Delhi take on 16-time champions Manipur in the semifinals on Saturday and Jyoti feels the job at hand is enormous.
“Manipur are a top side. Their record in the tournament speaks for itself. It will be baptism by fire for us. But I feel the fact that there were no expectations from us as such helped a great deal and it will be the same in the semis.”
All four semifinalists have been unbeaten in the group stage, with Manipur and Orissa winning all five of their fixtures, while Delhi and Jharkhand each won four and drew one.
Two Manipuri players – national team member Ashalata Devi and P Bijeta Devi – are playing for Delhi, making the encounter against their home state a special one.
On the other hand, Manipur have not only won all their matches en route the final but have stolen a march over their opponents in Group A. The most accomplished team in the competition have plundered 55 goals while conceding only one, against Maharashtra.
In the other semifinal of the day, both Jharkhand and defending champions Orissa will look to seal a berth in the summit clash.
Orissa are the only team not to have conceded a goal in the tournament so far.
More creditable for Orissa, the defending champions who usually boast of a number of national players in their arsenal have been bereft of their services with most of the first team footballers representing Railways in this edition.
“Our Team is full of U-19 and U-18 Players,” Orissa head coach Shrandhanjali Samataray informed. “This is not the first team as more than half of the players played for Railways (who were in the same group as Manipur) this year.”
But Samataray is not complaining. Rather she is elated at the prospect of this bunch of youngsters getting a chance to strut their stuff in front of national team scouts.
“These young girls have done exceptionally well to come this far. They have shown character and taken every game by the scruff of the collar. I’m sure some of them must have impressed the scouts here.
“It is an extra impetus for these girls to further prove their mettle in front of national team scouts. At the end of the day, every one dreams to don the India jersey.” (Agencies)