Thomas Dennerby names 22-member squad for Women's Olympic Qualifier Round 1

New Delhi [India], March 30 : Senior women's national team head coach Thomas Dennerby, on Wednesday, named a 22-member squad for the Women's Olympic Qualifier Round 1 to be played in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic from April 4.

Apart from India, the hosts Kyrgyz Republic are the only other team in Group G after Turkmenistan pulled out of the tournament. The two teams will play each other twice on April 4 and April 7, 2023.

The Blue Tigresses will reach the Kyrgyz Republic from Uzbekistan, where they played a friendly match against the Uzbekistan National team as part of the preparations for the Olympic qualifier. The Senior Indian Women's National Team also played two friendly games in Jordan.

India squad: Sowmiya Narayansamy, Shreya Hooda and Elangbam Panthoi, Ashalata Devi, Sweety Devi, Ritu R, Ranjana Chanu, Michel Castanha, Dalima Chhibber, Msa Panna and Juli Kishan, Shilky Devi Hemam, Anju Tamang, Indumathi Kathiresan, Sangita Basfore and Karthika Angamuthu, Grace Dangmei, Soumya Guguloth, Renu, Karishma Shirvoikar, Sandhiya Ranganathan and Apurna Narzary.

Earlier on Tuesday, India's senior women's team went down to Uzbekistan 2-3 here in an international friendly at Pakhtakor Stadium.

Dangmei Grace (22') and Indumathi Kathiresan (63') scored the equalisers for India while Diyorakhon Habibullayeva (7'), Lyudmila Karachik (25'P) netted for Uzbekistan.

Thomas Dennerby's team fought tooth and nail and could have deservedly come away with a 2-2 draw. But Kamila Zaripova's strike in the second minute of stoppage time crushed their hopes.