The Indian women's football team has expressed gratitude to the Jharkhand government for the warm welcome they received upon their arrival in the state. The Indian squad will be based in Jharkhand for the next five months as part of their preparations for the upcoming AFC Women's Asian Cup.
India will host the continental tournament in January and February 2022. The senior women's team will train in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, under new head coach Thomas Dennerby.
Astam Oraon and Sumati Kumari are two local players on the team. The duo has come a long way since making an impression on the India U-17 team, which led to their selection to the senior camp.
Speaking from the camp, the Indian team players thanked the state of Jharkhand for being such gracious hosts. Ashalata Devi, the team's captain, stated: “I’d really like to thank the Jharkhand Government for hosting our team here. The hospitality that everyone has shown to the team here has been amazing, and the facilities that we have been given are also brilliant in Jamshedpur.”
“This may be the first time that a National Team is camping in Jharkhand, but it doesn’t feel that way. Everyone already knows what the requirements are for us to train and prepare for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup," she added.
Not only that, but the captain believes that their hard work and training will attract a few other local athletes from the state.
Dangmei Grace, who has become a team mainstay over the years, expressed her admiration for how the team was treated in Jamshedpur as well.
“Wherever we go for a camp, we get a warm welcome, but it was absolutely something else in Jamshedpur. This was our first camp here, and when we arrived and got off our bus, they had come with so many huge drums to welcome us. It was just amazing,” recalled Grace. “When I got off the bus and saw them beating those huge drums, I was stunned. It was an extremely unique experience for us.”
