Lalitpur, April 22

A 22-member youth team on Friday left for Tajikistan to participate in the AFC U-14 Girls’ Regional Championship (South and Central) slated for April 27 to May 1.

Nepal are in Group B along with India and defending champions Bangladesh, while Kyrgyzstan, Bhutan, Iran and Tajikistan are in Group A. Nepal will open the campaign with a match against India on April 27 before facing Bangladesh the next day. Top two teams will enter semi-finals slated for April 30.

Rajju Khadka is the skipper of the youth team that includes Anjana Rana Magar, Dil Kumari Rana, Durga Khatri, Manisha Giri, Pabitra Rai, Punam Ghimire, Purnima Ghising, Rajani Thokar, Roshani Khatri, Sabina Chaudhary, Sajani Thokar, Saloni Rana Magar, Sarita Neupane, Shrisha Karki, Sumitra Singh Pakhrin and Udaya Thapa. Binod Lama is the head coach, while Rabindra Joshi is the team manager. Other officials included Shreej Maharjan, Dr Raju Dangol Maharjan and Subas Humagain. ANFA Acting President Narendra Shrestha, General Secretary Dhirendra Pradhan, and CEO Indraman Tuladhar among others bade farewell to the team.

Nepal had finished second in the previous edition in Nepal, losing to Bangladesh 1-0 in the final. The match, which was originally scheduled to take place on April 25 and was postponed because of the devastating earthquake, was played earlier this year. Players from India and Iran were warming up at the Dasharath Stadium from the third-place match before the earthquake jolted Nepal claiming the lives of more than 8500. AFC postponed the tournament indefinitely and later rescheduled the final match.