India U17 Women's Team Faces Older Rivals in SAFF U19 Championship

• The Indian U17 women’s team will compete in the SAFF U19 Women’s Championship 2026, starting with a match against hosts Nepal.
• New head coach Pamela Conti leads the U17 squad, using this higher-age group tournament to prepare for the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup.
• The team, with an average age of 16.1 years, includes 19 players from the AFC U17 Asian Cup qualifiers and four debutants.
• Captain Julan Nongmaithem, 14, expressed confidence, aiming for good football and a win despite facing older opponents.
• The tournament features a round-robin format with four teams, culminating in a final on February 7.

Why It Matters: India's U17 women's team is using the SAFF U19 Championship to gain experience against older players.