7 state players in U17 Women’s SAFF meet squad

Gumla: Seven footballers — two from Simdega district, one each from Gumla and Lohardaga districts and the remaining three from Ranchi — have made it to the Indian women’s squad for the upcoming SAAF U-17 women's football championship to be held in Dhaka from March 18 to 29 March. The All India Football Association (AIFF) on Thursday announced the 20 member squad for the prestigious meet.
From Simdega, Vikshit Bara and Shaulina Dang have been selected. From Gumla, the talented Shivani Toppo of Girls Residential Football Training Centre while Anisha Oraon from Lohardaga have made the cut. Those from Ranchi included Nishima Kumari, Babita Kumari and Lalita Boypai — all of whom are cadets of the Jharkhand State Sports Promotion Society (JSSPS), which is jointly run by state government and Central Coalfields Limited.
Vikshit, who hails from Raisia Topatoli village under Kolebira block of Simdega was part of the silver medal winning U-14 state team at School Games in Haryana in 2019. She was also part of the U-17 state team that clinched silver medal at Khelo India Youths Games in Panchkula in Haryana in 2022 as well as the Gumla school team that bagged gold at Subroto Cup International Football Championship in Delhi in 2022.
Shaulina Dang is from Telgadha village in Bano block of Simdega and was a member of gold winning school team of Gumla at Subroto Cup in 2022. Shivani Toppo, a resident of Akashi Pakritola under Chainpur block of Gumla, was part of state U-17 team which won bronze medal at Khelo India Youths Games in Gawahati in 2019.