Eventually the vision and efforts of Chief Minister Hemant Soren paid off. The Indian Football Association has announced the finally selected Indian team. Astam Oraon, Neetu Linda, Anjali Munda, Anita Kumari, Poornima Kumari and Sudha Ankita Tirkey have been included in the team. Astam Oraon and Sudha Ankita Tirkey are from Gumla while Neetu Linda, Anita Kumari and Anjali Munda are from Ranchi and Poornima Kumari from Simdega. For the first time, Astam Oraon, a player from Jharkhand, will lead the FIFA 17 World Cup football team as the captain.
During the lockdown in the year 2020, when the whole country was closed, the players of Jharkhand selected in the Indian team for FIFA U-17 to be held in 2021 had to return to Jharkhand from Goa. Due to the weak financial condition of most of the players, preparations and food were getting affected. After the matter came to the notice of the Chief Minister, he first directed the Sports Department to arrange for the training of the selected state players for the FIFA competition. After which all the players were brought to Ranchi and provided medical facilities and kept in the Government Guest School. According to the menu of the national team, arrangements for food and camp at Morhabadi Football Stadium and two coaches were arranged for them.
After this, the facility of world-class training of the Indian team for the FIFA World Cup was ensured in Jamshedpur on the instructions of the Chief Minister, where the Indian team trained for the World Cup for 10 months. Bus facility for travel including accommodation, ground, swimming pool, gym was ensured for the entire 10 months for the team. The same daughters of Jharkhand, who were included in the Indian team, raised the honour of the State today. These daughters are the pride of Jharkhand. These daughters showed tremendous courage and patience during the transition period. Now she will represent the country.
To provide support to these selected daughters, football kits were provided by the Sports Department and T-shirts were provided by UNICEF. UNICEF had roped in selected players as Champions of Change for Child Rights. UNICEF had trained them in the form of technical support given to the government on issues like child rights, adolescent girls, need for proper nutrition, menstruation, hygiene, mental health and psychosocial counseling etc.
“Many many congratulations and blessings to all the players selected in the Indian team for the FIFA U-17 Women's Football World Cup. Hearty congratulations to the daughters of Jharkhand who have been selected in the team. Organized training for the Under-17 team in Jamshedpur for almost 2 years was fruitful. Congratulations and Johar again to the entire team,” said the CM on the achievement of the players from Jharkhand.