Bala Devi, Manisha Kalyan named winners of annual AIFF awards
Nineteen-year-old Manisha, who is also a forward, was named the Women's Emerging Footballer of the Year for the first time and expressed her delight at being named for the honour.
The Indian women’s team won its third consecutive gold medal at the South Asian Games after beating Nepal 2-0 in the summit clash in Pokhara, Nepal, on Monday.
Bala Devi was the star of the show again as she netted a brace to guide India to a comfortable victory over the hosts in the final. The 29-year-old striker also ended as the top-scorer of the tournament, netting five goals in four matches.
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India went on the offensive from the very start, as the likes of Sangita Basfore and Ratanbala Devi dominated the proceedings from the middle of the park. Ratanbala had the first clear-cut chance for India as she lined up her shot off a Ranjana Chanu cross. However, her shot whizzed over the crossbar.
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Goalkeeper Aditi Chauhan, who has had a fantastic tournament, not conceding a single goal in any of the five matches, turned provider when she found Bala with a long ball upfield. The mercurial striker duly converted the chance to give India the early lead.
India had another major chance around the half-hour mark, when a Ranjana corner was headed down by captain Ashalata Devi towards Sandhiya, but the latter was flagged offside.
Aditi Chauhan made a couple of impressive saves on either side of half-time to keep India in the lead.
An intricate move was converted into a chance by Ratanbala, who played Bala through on goal as the latter finished off the chance to score her second goal of the match.
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