Indian footballer Ashalata Devi will become the first Indian woman to complete 100 caps in international football which she will achieve during clash against Pakistan in the opener of SAFF Championship. The 31-year-old centre-back has been a mainstay of Indian women’s football since making her international debut in March 2011 representing the country. When she was only 13, things began clicking for her and after proving her metal she made to India’s Under-17 women football team at the age of 15.
Ashalata has represented clubs, including Indian Railways, New Radiant Women’s Football Club in Maldives, Rising Student Club and Gokulam Kerala in the Indian Women’s League over the years. She is currently playing for East Bengal. Ashalata, famed for her tight back line and guiding play in defence, added four SAFF Women’s Championship crowns and two South Asian Games gold medals to India’s kitty. Selena also boasts experience on the Asian stage, having been nominated for AFC Women’s Player of the Year 2019 and awarded AIFF Women’s Player of the Year for 2018-19.
Ashalata, the one-woman army of Indian football Well, Ashalata’s journey in football is about more than just milestones. The emphasis is getting back to winning ways for her, especially in this SAFF Championship considering how India lost the title in a surprising fashion last year. This SAFF Championship is special for her, and she wants to reclaim the trophy leading her team to victory this time around.
It is Ashalata’s sixth tournament which she intends to make special with a title-winning flourish in the SAFF Championship. Adding both her experience and the collective effort of the team, she believes that they can reclaim the trophy, placing India right back on top of South Asian women’s football. Ashalata is making her 100th appearance as she steps on the field, so it will be celebrating epitome of her dedication to Indian women granting bright future and footprints of resilience.