Sesa Football Academy’s Aaroshi Govekar Poised for National Team Debut Against Nepal
In a proud moment for Sesa Football Academy (SFA) & Goan football Aaroshi Ramdas Govekar, has earned a call up for the one-off friendly between India and Nepal senior women’s football team at Sikkim on 29 Oct 25. The match, the first-ever international outing at Gangtok’s Paljor Stadium, is being held as part of the commemoration marking 50 years of statehood of Sikkim.
Aaroshi Govekar, from Nerul, Goa, is a stand-out defender who has performed consistently since 2018 at the Goa’s premier women’s league – Vedanta Women’s League and represented Goa at the Senior Nationals in 2024 & 25. Aaroshi was also an integral part of the SFA Women’s Team that clinched the Championship title in the Vedanta Women’s League 2024-25, winning the ‘Best Defender’ award in the process.
Aaroshi’s football journey began with a spark of curiosity and determination. From playing with village boys to representing top clubs like Bengaluru FC, Calangute Association, and Puneri Warriors FC, her path has been defined by relentless effort and an unyielding passion for the sport. Reflecting on her selection, Aaroshi said, “It’s a dream come true to wear the Indian jersey. This moment is not just a personal achievement, but the result of years of dedication, passion, and hard work. I’m deeply grateful to Sesa Football Academy, teammates and my family for their constant support. I will give more than my best to make the country and Goa proud.”
She also credited the coaching staff at SFA for having played a pivotal role in shaping her game, guiding her through rigorous training, gym sessions, and tactical growth that have built her into a confident, all-round player ready for the national challenge.
Speaking of her achievements, Mr. Gavin Araujo, Technical Director, Sesa Football Academy said, “We are extremely proud of Aaroshi’s selection to the National Camp, which embodies the values that Sesa Football Academy stands for perseverance, discipline, and an unrelenting pursuit of excellence by Aaroshi herself. With more and more women players from Goa making, it to the National team at various levels, it bodes well for the future of women’s football in the State.”
Aaroshi’s call up follows closely on the heels of another SFA star, Pearl Fernandes, who recently represented India at the SAFF U-17 Women’s Championship in Bhutan, helping the team clinch the title and secure qualification for the AFC Asian Cup 2026, where she scored the opening goal against Kyrgyzstan.
About Vedanta Cares
Vedanta is committed to reinvest in the social good of its neighbourhood communities and the nation. The Group’s flagship CSR project, Nand Ghar, is a network of model anganwadis where the thrust is on inclusive development of women and children at the grassroots level. The Group CSR initiative comprises of seven key verticals – Education, Healthcare, Water and Sanitation, Sustainable Livelihood, Skilling, Sports & Culture and Employee Volunteering. Vedanta Foundation, a philanthropic initiative of Vedanta Group is focused on skill development and vocational training programmes for the underprivileged to make them employable. A key healthcare speciality CSR project is the Balco Medical Center, a 200-bed state-of-the-art Cancer care hospital located in New Raipur, Chhattisgarh. The company supports grassroots level sports through their Football academies in Goa and Udaipur.
About Vedanta Limited
Vedanta Limited, a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Limited, is one of the world’s leading Oil & Gas and Metals company with significant operations in Oil & Gas, Zinc, Lead, Silver, Copper, Iron Ore, Steel, and Aluminium & Power across India, South Africa, Namibia, and Australia. For two decades, Vedanta has been contributing to India’s growth story, currently contributing 1 percent of India’s GDP. The company is among the top private sector contributors to the exchequer with the highest ever contribution of INR 42,560 Crore in FY 2019. Governance and sustainable development are at the core of Vedanta's strategy, with a strong focus on health, safety, and environment and on enhancing the lives of local communities. The company has been conferred the CII-ITC Sustainability Award, the FICCI CSR Award, Dun & Bradstreet Awards in Metals & Mining, and certified as a Great Place to Work. Vedanta Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange in India and has ADRs listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
About SESA Football Academy
An initiative of SESA Community Development Foundation (SCDF), SESA Football Academy (SFA) was founded in 1999 for the holistic development of the local youths through football. The academy has created the conditions for discovering, creating and building talent for football. SFA does not restrict itself to football trainings but involves in a long term residential program which takes care of the formal education, skill development of the trainees during the four-year training period.
The academy has a strong focus on women empowerment through football. Since inception, SFA has trained around 200 footballers and has made tremendous impact on the football fraternity in Goa as well as across India. The graduates from SFA are serving in the national teams, Indian Super League (ISL), I-League clubs of India and clubs in Goa. 7 players have earned the national team cap and several players played the elite ISL.