Indian U-17 women's football team to tour Hong Kong
New Delhi: With the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup slated to be held in India next year, the national team will be traveling to Hong Kong for an exposure tour beginning June 16.
The girls, who have been training in Goa since the first week of May under former India international Alex Ambrose, will play four matches in Hong Kong.
The first match will be against Hong Kong U-23 on June 21, followed by games against Hong Kong U-18 and against club teams.
Ambrose believes the matches in Hong Kong will give the girls valuable experience to test themselves against tough opponents.
"The matches in Hong Kong will serve as a good experience for the girls. Almost 40 percent of them are new to the national team set-up, and are still getting used to the flow," Ambrose said.
"Playing competitive teams will help acclimatize them, and gain an understanding of International football."
He went on to state that such matches will help test the character of the players.
"It will also help us coaches identify the players who have a strong mentality and tend to take the right decisions even when they are under pressure," he explained.
Ambrose said that the key objective remains to prepare the team for the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup next year.
"Learning never stops, and that applies to everyone. My players have shown interest, character and the dedication required to be a part of such a big tournament. The future looks good if they keep working hard," he said.
