Goalkeeper Payal Basude of Mumbai District has been appointed captain of the Maharashtra (WIFA) team that will be participating in the 27th Senior Women’s National Football Championship 2022-23 to be held at Uttarakhand from March 27 to April 9, 2023, according to a WIFA media release.
The players of the Maharashtra team along with Head coach Sanaya Anklesaria Mumbai District, manager Darsana Sanas of Pune District and physiotherapist Smurti Pawar of Mumbai pose with WIFA Hon. Gen. Secretary Souter Vaz.
Mumbai District’s experience striker Bhagyashree Dalvi is named as the Vice-Captain of the team. The 22-member team will be under the guidance of Head Coach Sanaya Anklesaria, also from Mumbai District.
Junior International Bhumika Mane, a versatile attacking midfielder, is the youngest member of the team.
Under the supervision of coach Anklesaria the players were put through strenuous training sessions for the past two weeks. The coach also made the team play a couple of matches in preparation for the strong challenges ahead.
Maharashtra is clubbed with Mizoram, Pondicherry, Kerala, hosts Uttarakhand, and Chandigarh.
In the opening match, Maharashtra will play against Mizoram on Tuesday (Mar 28) and meet Pondicherry on Friday (Mar 31). Their third group match will be against Kerala on Sunday (Apr 2) and then clash with Uttarakhand on April 5. In the concluding group fixture Maharashtra will face off against Chandigarh.
The team accompanied by the coach Anklesaria, manager Darsana Sanas of Pune District and physiotherapist Smurti Pawar will leave by train from Mumbai on Saturday. The team will first travel to Delhi and then board another train to Haldwani, Uttarakhand for the tournament.
The Maharashtra team:
Goalkeepers: Payal Basude (Captain, Mumbai), Anjali Barke (Pune).
Defenders: Afreen Peerbhoy, Sapna Jaiswar (both Mumbai), Sonali Salvi (Kolhapur), Sapna Rajpure, Sonali Chemate, Aditi Gadekar (all Pune).
Midfielders: Ritika Singh (Pune), Sanika Patil, Arya More (both Kolhapur), Harshika Jain, Shreya Bhatt, Bhumika Mane (all Mumbai), Aishwarya Bhonde (Buldana), Ambika Dange (Satara), Tanvi Patil (Palghar).
Forwards: Archana Bhaladhare, Trupti Deep (both Gondia), Bhagyashree Dalvi (Vice-Captain), Pranita Nimkar, Priya Rathod (all Mumbai).
Manager: Darsana Sanas (Pune).
Head Coach: Sanaya Anklesaria (Mumbai).
Physiotherapist: Smurti Pawar (Mumbai).