India will put up fantastic show in U-17 World Cup: Aditi Chauhan

Aditi Chauhan feels that the under-17 team is not short on preparation for the upcoming World Cup despite the absence of senior nationals in the country since 2019. India organised its last U-17 National Championships in April 2019 before the coronavirus outbreak upset all plans. But Aditi feels the Indian team is on the right track and would be one of the sides to watch out for in the U-17 Women's World Cup.

"This group has been preparing for this moment for quite some time," Chauhan said in an interview to PTI from Bhubaneswar. "They've been getting regular match time and training regularly and hopefully, they'll be able to gain more exposure and play more friendlies before the World Cup. "I am confident that they will put on a fantastic performance in front of their home crowd at the World Cup." India under coach Thomas Dennerby has already named 33 probables who are currently training in Jamshedpur.

There have been questions about the selection policies without a national tournament. "I think India has a lot of potential in their U-17 squad and I have been lucky to play with a few of them. "The young girls have shown their fighting spirit in their last SAFF Cup where they were the champions.

"The players have been practicing together for a long time and I am sure India will be one of the teams to watch out for," she said. The tournament is slated from October 17-30 in the five cities of Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Guwahati, Ahmedabad and Navi Mumbai. "The U-17 World Cup is going to be a huge opportunity for our girls to play and compete against the best in the world.