Our Correspondent
Imphal, Dec. 22 (EMN): Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh on Thursday met the women football players of the state who represented the country in the recently concluded U-17 FIFA World Cup in October this year.
Sharing photographs the meeting with the women footballers at Chief Minister’s Secretariat in Imphal in a tweet, the chief minister wrote, “Our young stars - M Monalisha, Sertolynda Kom, L Rejiya, L Babina, K Melody Chanu, L Sheila Devi, H Silky Devi who represented India in the recently held FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, 2022 visited me at my official residence. We are really proud of you!”
The seven players from the state who have made it to the Indian squad for the women’s U-17 FIFA World Cup, are Monalisha Devi Moirangthem, Melody Chanu Keisham (goalkeeper), Shilky Devi Hemam, Babina Devi Lisham, Lynda Kom Serto, Rejiya Devi Laishram and Shelia Devi Loktongbam.
Interestingly, in the recently concluded 36th National Games in Gujarat, Manipur women team beat Odisha 2-0 to retain women‘s football title.
Manipur women football team dominated the country’s women football championships by bagging the winner's title in National level championships in 1991, 1992-1995, 1997-2010 and 2014-2016 respectively. State’s Eastern Sporting Union women’s football team had even won the country’s first ever India league championship in 2017.