Saru Limbu Explained

Saru Limbu
Birth Date:1999 March 6
Birth Place:Morang
Position:Midfielder
Clubs1:Nepal A.P.F. Club
Nationalteam1:Nepal
Clubs2:Masha United
Years2:2021
Years1:2016–2022
Years4:2023
Clubs4:Kickstart
Caps4:7
Goals4:6
Nationalyears1:2016–
Goals1:20
Caps2:4
Goals2:19
Nationalcaps1:20
Nationalgoals1:1

Saru Limbu (Nepali: सरु लिम्बु; born 6 March 1999) is a Nepali professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for the Nepali national team. She has played for the Indian Women's League club Kickstart FC.

Early life

Growing up in her hometown in Morang District, Limbu used to watch local football matches, and her friends and cousins influenced her to play football. Her talent was noticed by a teacher who contacted football coach Bikram Dhimal. After watching her play, Dhimal coached the team at Pathari Shanishchare-7, Kirtipur (Bal Kalyan School Ground) where she joined the local New Star Club, Kirtipur. New Star Club and the club organizers Diwas Limbu and Biroj Magar were the god fathers of Saru because this club has initiated lady football tournaments in a remote village (Kirtipur) at that time. New Star Club has won ANFA U-15 woman football with Saru’s team. Many national players are produced by this club. Playing for New Star she attracted the attention of bigger clubs including Nepal A.P.F. Club.[1]

Club career

In 2016, APF offered her a contract. Initially, Limbu's family did not want her to go, but, as it was a departmental team where she would have more than just a football job, her family agreed. When she joined APF, key players such as Anu Lama and Sajana Rana were injured, so Limbu got an immediate chance to play. After a dominant performance in the Chief of Army Staff Cup, she was called up to Nepal women's national football team.[1] After consistently performing well at club level and in closed camps, she was selected for Nepal's squad for the 2016 SAFF Women's Championship.[1]

In March 2021, Limbu was one of four Nepal national team players recruited to play in the 2021 edition of Pakistan's National Women Football Championship, for Masha United in Karachi.[2] [3] The side finished top of its group, scoring 60 goals in four matches.[4] These included a 19-0 win over Sialkot (Limbu scoring 10 goals),[5] a 4-0 triumph over Higher Education Commission,[6] a 35-0 victory over Karachi (Limbu again scoring 10),[7] and a 2-2 draw with Karachi United. They reached the semi-finals before the tournament was cancelled.[8]

She returned to play in Nepal's domestic league for Nepal A.P.F. Club.

International career

Limbu captained Nepal's under-18 women's team at the SAFF U-18 Championship in Bhutan.[9]

!Year!Tournament!Team!Host Country!Achievement
2016SAFF Championship[10] Nepal National TeamIndia
2016South Asian Games[11] Nepal National TeamIndiaSilver Medal
2016Friendlies: Nepal VS MalaysiaNepal National TeamNepal
2018SAFF U-18 ChampionshipNepal National TeamBhutanSecond
2018Olympic QualificationNepal National TeamThailand
2018Olympic QualificationNepal National TeamMyanmar
2018Friendly MatchNepal National TeamHong Kong
2018Friendly MatchNepal National TeamChina
2019Gold CupNepal National TeamIndiaSecond
2019Friendly MatchNepal National TeamBarahin
2019NSZADA CupNepal National TeamKyzatistan
2019South Asian GamesNepal National TeamNepalSilver Medal
2021Friendlies: Nepal VS BangladeshNepal National TeamNepal
2021AFC Asian CupNepal National TeamUzbekistan

Honours

Kickstart

Individual

!Year!Tournament!Award
2072COAS International Women Football TournamentBest Midfielder
2078Chief Minister BYC Women Gold CupBest Midfielder
2021National Women LeagueMost Valuable Player[14]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: diwakar . 2021-02-26 . Saru Limbu began playing football barefoot. Today, she has a bigger dream for her nation - OnlineKhabar English News . 2022-06-29 . en-GB.
  2. News: We will return to Pakistan with the pride of Nepal: Saru Limbu . 29 June 2022 . MakaluKhabar . 5 March 2021.
  3. https://www.dawn.com/news/1611466/national-womens-football-championship-set-to-kick-off-amid-covid-cloud National Women’s Football Championship set to kick off amid Covid cloud
  4. https://www.urdupoint.com/en/sports/national-womens-football-championship-due-1187647.html National Women’s Football Championship Due To Start Tomorrow
  5. Web site: Wasim. Umaid. 2021-03-10. Lop-sided victories as national women’s football kicks off. 2022-01-29. DAWN.COM. en.
  6. Web site: Sports. A. R. Y.. 2021-03-20. Masha beat HEC to win second game in National Women’s Football Championship. 2022-01-29. ARYSports.tv.
  7. Web site: Masha United whip Karachi Women FC 35-0. 2022-01-29. www.thenews.com.pk. en.
  8. Web site: Karachi United, Highlanders club withdraw from National Women Football Championship ahead of semi-finals. 2022-01-29. www.geo.tv. en.
  9. News: Nepal U18 Skipper Saru Limbu: Our Preparation Has Been Good . 29 June 2022 . GoalNepal . 26 September 2018.
  10. Web site: WSU . 2016-12-23 . SAFF Women’s Championship 2016 . 2022-06-29 . Womens Soccer United . en-US.
  11. Web site: Indian Women win Gold in South Asian Games . 2022-06-29 . www.the-aiff.com.
  12. News: Gokulam Kerala steamroll Kickstart to complete hat-trick of Hero IWL titles. 21 May 2023 . the-aiff.com. All India Football Federation. 21 May 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230522160849/https://www.the-aiff.com/article/gokulam-kerala-steamroll-kickstart-to-complete-hat-trick-of-hero-iwl-titles. 22 May 2023.
  13. News: Indian Women's League 2023: Gokulam Kerala thrash Kickstart FC 5–0 to win third consecutive title. sportstar.thehindu.com. Sportstar. 21 May 2023. 22 May 2023. Chennai. https://web.archive.org/web/20230522151217/https://sportstar.thehindu.com/football/gokulam-kerala-wins-indian-womens-league-gkfc-5-0-kickstart-fc-sabitra-bhandari-top-scorer-iwl-records-milestones-stats/article66878249.ece. 22 May 2023.
  14. News: APF’s Saru Limbu is the best player in the women’s league . 29 June 2022 . Himal Sanchar.