Bhubaneswar: There will be a strong Odisha connection to the Indian team which will take part in the SAFF U-19 Championship to be held at Kathmandu from September 21.
Odisha’s Shuvendu Panda will be the head coach of the team, while A Siba Prasad and Raja Harijan have been named in the 23-member squad.
India has have been placed in Group B along with Bhutan and Bangladesh, while Group A comprises hosts Nepal, Maldives and Pakistan.
Following a single round-robin group stage, the top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals. The final is scheduled on September 30.
The Indian squad flew to Saudi Arabia today for an exposure-cum-training camp and will travel from there to the Nepal capital on September 19.
THE SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Lionel Daryl Rymmei, Divyaj Dhaval Thakkar, Manjot Singh Parmar.
Defenders: Thomas Kanamoottil Cherian, Jahangir Ahmad Shagoo, Vijay Marandi, A Siba Prasad, Manabir Basumatary, Surajkumar Singh Ngangbam, Ricky Meetei.
Midfielders: Manglentheng Kipgen, Ishaan Shishodia, Arjun Singh Oinam, Yash Chikro, Ebindas Yesudasan, Raja Harijan, Thumsol Tongsin.
Forwards: Gwgwmsar Goyary, Sahil Khurshid, Linky Meitei Chabungbam, Kelvin Singh Taorem, Naoba Meitei, Dinesh Singh Soubam.
