New Delhi, May 22
The Indian Senior Women's National Team will play two international friendlies against Uzbekistan in Tashkent on May 31 and June 4, 2024. They were last seen in action in the Turkish Women's Cup in February 2024, where they finished runners-up.
Since then, all the players have had a busy schedule on the domestic front, mainly playing in the Indian Women's League (IWL) and the Senior National Women's Championship. Now, they are back in the National Camp for the international matches in the FIFA Window.
The Blue Tigresses have been training in Hyderabad for the past two days, with several young players joining the National camp for the first time. Head Coach Langam Chaoba Devi spoke to the-aiff.com from Hyderabad about the new player call-ups, the ongoing training camp, and the challenges ahead in Uzbekistan.
The Indian Women's head coach asserted there is a need for young talent from across the country in order to build future stars.
"We have brought in some young new players. The reason is simple, we have to think about the future. There is absolutely no doubt that senior players like Ashalata Devi, Anju Tamang, Manisha, or Pyari Xaxa are valuable assets to the National Team. But we also need young talents from across the country to emerge as future stars," Chaoba Devi said as quoted by AIFF.
The coach further asserted that she is trying to bring in new faces and provide them necessary international football experience.
"I am trying to bring in new faces and provide them with the necessary international football experience. This exposure is crucial for the future of Indian football. I need three more Dalimas, three Ashalatas, three Anjus, and three Pyaris for this team. And can we do that without bringing in new talents? We will have to prepare for the future," the coach added.
In the end, Chaoba Devi spoke about her preparations for Olympic Qualifiers against Uzbekistan.
"We have played against Uzbekistan before in the Olympic qualifiers. Our results were not up to the mark. During my time as an assistant coach, we have also played against them. They are a good team. As a coach, I believe our girls can perform much better if they continue their efforts with will and determination," Chaoba Devi concluded.