Three football players from Kashmir Valley brought laurels to the Union Territory by securing their place in the Indian football team for the coming SAFF under-17 championship.

Faizan Wahid, Tajamaul Islam, and Huzafah Ahmad Dar have been selected to represent India at the upcoming SAFF Under-17 Championship set to be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka from September 5, 2022.

According to reports, Faizan and Tajamaul are trainees of Jammu & Kashmir Sports Council's Football Academy, while Huzafah is getting coaching from the J&K Bank Football Academy. Indian U-17 team head Coach Bibiano Fernandes has named a 23-member squad for the SAFF U-17 Championship which kicks off in Colombo on September 5, 2022, on Thursday.

Football players
J&K Sports Council

Faizan and Huzafah play as midfielders while Tajamul is a goalkeeper. The three players have received praise from all sections including LG's office, Army, and Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council (JKSC) for their selection in the 23-member Indian squad.

LG congratulates budding football players of Kashmir

"Congratulations and best wishes to our U17 talents- Faizan, Tajamul, and Huzafah for their selection in @IndianFootball Team 23-member squad for the SAFF U-17 Championship starting in Colombo from September 5. You have made us all very proud," the LG's office tweeted on Thursday.

Indian team for SAFF U-17 Championship 2022 announced on Thursday

Indian U-17 team head Coach Bibiano Fernandes has named a 23-member squad for the SAFF U-17 Championship which kicks off in Colombo on September 5, 2022.

India begin their campaign against Bhutan on September 5. The final is slated for September 14.

"We believe this batch has what it takes to outdo what the previous two batches achieved. Our short-term aim is to win the SAFF U17 Championship and qualify for the AFC U17 Championships as group leaders," the coach stated.

Football players
AIFF Twitter handle

India is the defending champion. The young Blue colts beat Nepal 7-0 to win the previous edition in 2019. Apart from India and host Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan are the other teams participating in the tournament.

India is placed in Group B along with Nepal and Bhutan. Hosts Sri Lanka, Maldives and Bangladesh are in Group A. The top two teams from each group advance to the semis. The final is slated to take place on September 14.

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