Zinc Football Academy goalkeeper Sonam Ghosh named in India U-17 squad for Uzbekistan friendlies

Sonam Ghosh, a 15-year-old goalkeeper from Zinc Football Academy, has been selected for the India U-17 Women’s National Team to play two friendly matches against Uzbekistan in Tashkent on August 27 and August 30.

She has been part of two national camps, underscoring her ongoing involvement with India’s youth setups.

Sonam was a standout for Zinc Football Academy this season, playing a key role in what the academy described as a landmark year for its girls programme.

Her consistent performances helped ZFA clinch the Rajasthan State Senior Women’s League title as part of a campaign that also yielded three other trophies.

Those additional honours for the academy’s girls side this year included the Doon Cup, the Under-15 Asmita Football League and the DAV U-19 Nationals.

Sonam belongs to Zinc Football Academy’s first girls’ intake, launched in 2025 with an inaugural batch of 20 girls from rural backgrounds, and her national team selection followed her participation in the recent trials camp.

Zinc Football Academy, an AIFF 3-star rated academy established in 2018, has previously produced players for India’s age-group teams; former ZFA players Rajrup Sarkar, Sahil Poonia, Prem Hansdak and Mohammed Kaif have represented India.

Hindustan Zinc, the Vedanta Group company described in the academy release as the world’s largest integrated zinc producer, runs the Zinc Football CSR initiative and says its community-development footprint spans over 4,100 villages and reaches more than 2.6 million people.

The company states it has supported sport for nearly four decades, beginning with its football stadium at Zawar in 1976 which hosts annual National Football Tournaments; its sporting activities extend to athletics, kabaddi and volleyball, the Vedanta Zinc City Half Marathon is held in Udaipur, and the company says sports initiatives have impacted nearly 30,000 lives. The article was filed by Rohit Mistri, a sports journalist from Kolkata with over two years of experience.

Sonam is included in the India U-17 squad that will face Uzbekistan in two friendlies in Tashkent on August 27 and August 30.