Sethu Football Club will leave this week for Kolhapur to participate in the Qualifiers of the 2017 AIFF-Indian Women’s League which starts on November 25. The Madurai-based outfit is the first women I league team from Tamil Nadu to take part in the premier women’s football competition.
The team is owned by M Seeni Moideen, former president of the Tamil Nadu Football Association and current chairman of women’s committee, and helmed by Kalpana Dass, who holds an AFC ‘A’ license in coaching and has previously worked with several major women’s teams, including Pune FC.
Sethu FC is in six-team Group A in the Qualifying league along with Rising star (Odisha), Baroda FC (Gujarat), Capital Complex Sporting Club (Arunachal Pradesh), Indira Gandhi ASE (Pondicherry) and J&K State Sports Council and will play five matches. Group B comprises seven teams. Only the toppers of each Group will advance to the main event.
This will be the first National tournament for Sethu FC which has predominantly played in Tamil Nadu and the side has roped in a handful of professionals from Maharashtra, Goa, West Bengal and Punjab in a bid to strength their side for the IWL Qualifying.
As part of their preparation, Sethu FC, which is an amateur outfit, played practice matches against first-year college boys of Annamalai University in Chidambaram.
Kalpana Dass said playing in the IWL Qualifying will be a big challenge for her side given their limited exposure and being an amateur side of school and college students.
Indian women’s football is on the rise and is currently ranked 56 in the world and 13th in Asia.
Kalpana Dass said: “Sethu FC is the only team from Tamil Nadu in the IWL. We are trying to promote women’s football in the state. Right now we have less number of outstation players. From next year we want to use only Tamil Nadu players. This time we have roped in outstation players to give our side some experience and raise the level of their game.”
M SeeniMoideen said: “There is a lot of potential in Tamil Nadu in women’s football and I started this team to provide a boost to the women’s game in the state. Our focus is also to improve the game in the state at the grassroots level.”
The squad (all TN, unless specified):
N Sowmiya (goalkeeper),I Ramya (goalkeeper), Vinitha (goalkeeper), S Rumpa Malik (goalkeeper, WB),
P Juki (defender), M Varalakshmi (defender), JakiyaAfrien (defender), N PoliKoley (defender, WB),Rutuja R Gunwant (defender, Maharashtra), Anline Fernandes (defender, Goa), Laura Estibeiro (defender, Maharashtra),
S Muthuselvi (midfielder), S Iswarya (midfielder), A Karthika (midfielder),K Sowbakiyalakshmi (midfielder), Alam (midfielder,West Bengal), Indumathi (midfielder), , B Puja Karmakar (midfielder, WB),AnaghaJanakkiraman (midfielder, Maharashtra),
M Nandhini (striker), S Abarna (striker), R Sumitra (striker), Velanie Fernandes (striker, Goa)Manisha (striker, Punjab).
Coach: Kalpana Dass.
