Kolhapur: A month on from the announcement of India hosting the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2020, the junior girls’ National Football Championship is all set to kick-off here on Saturday. The tournament, now entering its fifth edition, will serve as a platform for scouting talent for next year’s U-17 World Cup and will see a total of 27 teams take part across eight groups, with the winner from each group moving into the quarterfinals.
The first three editions were won by Manipur while Tamil Nadu lifted the trophy last year at Cuttack. The defending champions have been drawn against Delhi and Madhya Pradesh in Group B and will be in action on the opening day, which will feature a total of six matches across two venues — the Rajarshi Shahu Stadium and the Polo Ground.
