Shillong, Jan 12: Sanfida Nongrum has been called up to the Indian national senior women’s football team and will travel to Turkey for three friendlies in the coming days.
Sanfida, known as Polly, would become the first player from Meghalaya to represent the senior women’s team, though a few others have played for the U-17 and U-20 national sides.
A regular in the Indian Women’s League, the midfielder currently plays her club football for Garhwal United but has also appeared for Bangalore United, Sports Odisha, Sirvodem SC and the Meghalaya sub-junior girls’ team in the past. By being registered with Garhwal, she has also represented Delhi in the Senior Women’s National Football Championship.
Here in Meghalaya, Sanfida helped Laitkor to victory in the Women’s Football League 2024. And last year, playing for Misaka United, she was the Top Scorer and Player of the Tournament at the Karnataka Women’s League 2025-26.
She has been on the radar of the All India Football Federation before, having been called for trials for the U-17 team in 2020.
Having gone from strength to strength, Sanfida has now made it into the senior squad. The selected players began their training camp in Haryana today.
The Blue Tigresses, who assembled in the city a day earlier, held their first training session today and will continue training there until Wednesday. On 15th January they will leave for Antalya in Turkey to play three closed-door friendly matches as part of preparations for the upcoming AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026.
The Blue Tigresses first play FC Metalist 1925 Kharkiv (Ukraine) on 18th January, followed by FC Zürich Frauen (Switzerland) on 21st January and FC Schlieren (Switzerland) on 24th January in the city of Manavgat, around 75km from Antalya.
India squad:
Goalkeepers – Elangbam Panthoi Chanu, Sowmiya Narayanasamy, Shreya Hooda, Adrija Sarkhel
Defenders – Sweety Devi Ngangbam, Shilky Devi Hemam, Juli Kishan, Nirmala Devi Phanjoubam, Sanju, Malati Munda, Astam Oraon, Sarita Yumnam, Sushmita Lepcha, Martina Thokchom
Midfielders – Sangita Basfore, Babina Devi Lisham, Priyadharshini Selladurai, Anju Tamang, Karthika Angamuthu, Jasoda Munda, Sanfida Nongrum
Forwards – Grace Dangmei, Soumya Guguloth, Karishma Shirvoikar, Rimpa Haldar, Malavika P, Pyari Xaxa, Lynda Kom Serto, Kaviya Pakkirisamy
Fixtures:
18th January, India vs FC Metalist 1925 Kharkiv, Emirhan Sport Centre, 5:30PM IST
21st January, India vs FC Zürich Frauen, Emirhan Sport Centre, 5:30PM IST
24th January, India vs FC Schlieren, Evrenseki/Ilıca Stadium, 5:30PM IST
(Photo: Garhwal United/Facebook)