India Kicks Off SAFF U19 Women's Championship with 1-0 Win Over Nepal

• India secured a 1-0 victory against hosts Nepal in their opening match of the SAFF U19 Women's Championship 2026 at Pokhara Rangasala Stadium.
• Pearl Fernandes scored the decisive goal in the 49th minute, shortly after halftime.
• The Indian squad, an U17 team, is using this tournament as preparation for the AFC U17 Asian Cup later this year.
• Head coach Pamela Conti made her debut, giving junior India debuts to Redima Devi Chingkhamayum and Alva Devi Senjam.
• India will face Bangladesh in their next match on February 2, with the top two teams advancing to the final.

Why It Matters: India's U17 squad, playing as U19, began their SAFF Championship campaign with a crucial win.