The Russian women’s national team is set to compete at the SAFF Under-17 players championship in Dhaka, a competition conducted under the UEFA Assist initiative. This development was announced by the team’s head coach, Elena Medved, during a broadcast discussion. The squad will carry the national flag and perform the anthem before matches, underscoring the country’s pride and the symbolic importance of representing Russia on a regional stage as part of this age-group event. Medved voiced clear expectations, stating that the team aims for top honors and to secure a leading position in the tournament, highlighting a sustained focus on excellence and competitive ambition for the young players involved.
The event in question runs from March 20 to March 28 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. During the championship, the Russia U-16 girls will face a lineup of regional teams, including India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal, in what promises to be a demanding group-stage slate. The schedule will test the squad’s technical development, tactical discipline, and mental resilience as they navigate varied playing styles and conditions typical of South Asian competition.
Contextually, the path to participating in this SAFF event comes amid a broader international sports framework in which FIFA and UEFA previously decided to suspend Russia’s national team and all Russian clubs from competitions under their governance. The suspension has implications for player development, exposure, and cross-border competition for Russian youth teams as they seek pathways to meaningful international experience while navigating the administrative landscape shaped by these governing bodies.
Earlier information had indicated that Maxim Mitrofanov, the Secretary General of the Russian Football Union (RFU), would lead the organization’s delegation at the FIFA Congress, marking a notable moment in Russian football’s ongoing engagement with international governance forums. This development sits alongside efforts at the youth level to provide competitive opportunities for young players to grow and showcase their talents on larger stages, even as the broader competitive environment continues to evolve under external regulatory decisions and regional competition formats.