Football
17-year-old Anju Chanu becomes youngest Captain in Indian Football history
With a solid start at home, former champions Sethu FC will aim to build momentum as the season progresses.
17-year-old Anju Chanu becomes youngest Captain in Indian Football history (Photo credit: Sethu FC)
Making history on Saturday, 17-year-old Anju Chanu from Manipur donned the captain’s armband for Sethu FC, becoming the youngest captain ever in a top-tier Indian league.
Anju led her team to a hard-fought 1-0 victory against newly-promoted Sribhumi FC in their Indian Women’s League (IWL) opener at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai.
This moment of triumph carries added significance as it’s a tale of two captains from the same state representing different clubs – one being the prodigious 17-year-old Anju, and the other the iconic Ngangom Bala Devi, a pioneer in women’s football.
The match was decided by a single moment of brilliance in the second half. After an evenly-contested first period, Sethu’s Ugandan midfielder, Amnah Nababi, scored her debut IWL goal with a stunning right-footed volley in the 59th minute.
Her effort came after a lapse in Sribhumi’s defense, as she calmly guided the ball into the far corner, beyond the reach of goalkeeper Moirangthem Monalisha Devi.
Anju’s historic achievement adds another feather to her cap and sets the tone for an exciting season ahead. Her maturity, leadership, and composure on the field at such a young age mark her as one of India’s brightest prospects in women’s football.
With a solid start at home, former champions Sethu FC will aim to build momentum as the season progresses. Meanwhile, Sribhumi FC, despite the loss, showed glimpses of their potential and will look to regroup in their upcoming fixtures.
