Shukla Dutta, former prolific scorer, to lead Indian U19 women’s team as head coach

Shukla Dutta, a former player and a prolific scorer, was
appointed by the All India Football Federation or AIFF Technical Committee as the
head coach for the Indian U19 Women’s team on Saturday. The SAFF Championships
will take place in February and preparations will begin early January in Goa
next year.

Shukla Dutta, who coached the Indian U17 women’s
team previously as well as led Rising Student Club to the 2017-18 Indian Women’s
League maiden title, will be assisted by former India International Sradhanjali
Samantaray and goalkeeping coach Lourembam Ronibala Chanu in an all-women
support staff team.

She has even represented the country in the 1981 and 1983 Asian Women’s Championship.

All India Football Federation acting
secretary-general M Satyanarayan termed the Women’s Under-19 SAFF as an
important tournament, which will be “a stepping stone for talented players to
move to the next level – the Seniors”.

Satyanarayan shared, “It is great to
find that we have an all-women technical staff for the U19 Women’s team.”

Former India captain IM Vijayan chaired
the meeting that was attended by AIFF Acting Secretary General Satyanarayan M, Technical
Committee Deputy Chairman Manoranjan Bhattacharya, members Pinky Bompal Magar,
Harjinder Singh, Arun Malhotra, Climax Lawrence, Eugeneson Lyngdoh and
Technical Director Syed Sabir Pasha.

NE Watch Desk