NEW DELHI, Nov 11: With an eye on the Asian Championships in China next month, a 22-member Indian women's football team left for an exposure trip to Germany tonight. The National team will play a few matches against the German side and will undergo a 12-day training session alongside.

The team, formed after the National championships at Haldia, was selected after a training camp in Patiala.

This is the first time that a women's football team has stepped out of the country for training or for tournaments. A part of the trip is sponsored by All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Government of India while some NRIs in Germany added their bit on the finance front.

AIFF President, Priya Ranjan Das Munshi claimed this was the first step in promotion of the women's football. Das Munshi added the AIFF plans to start tournaments like Federation Cup, National League (something on the lines of NFL for men) and championships for under-16 and under-19.

``We will bring the Indian women's football at par with the rest in Asia within two years,'' claimed Das Munshi.

India is grouped with Hong Kong, Guyana, Chinese Taipie and Japan in the Asian Championships. The team for the tournament will be announced in Calcutta on December 1 before the squad leaves for China on December 2.

Chief coach Arumainayagam described the composition of the team to be defence-oriented and that he would like the players to be more aggressive.

The coach felt that the trip will help the side in building confidence and the exposure would help them know more about the game.

The team: Chingtham Binashori Devi (GK), W Robita Devi (GK), Ranjita Mohanty (GK), S Kumari Devi, Chatali Kar, M Khamba Devi, P Sreelatha, Meenu Solanky, Bentla D'Coth, Maria P Rebello, Malkit Kaur, O Bembem Devi, Alpana Sil, Seena CV, L Chaoba Devi, T Tabai Devi, S Shanti Devi, K Lokeshoari Devi, Gurmeet Kaur, Sujata Kar, S Samantaray, Karamjit Kaur.

Chief coach: I Arumainayagam, Coach: Shanti K Singh

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.