Sanju Yadav
{{Short description|Indian footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2018}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Sanju Yadav
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| fullname = Sanju Yadav
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1997|9|12|df=y}}
| birth_place = Alakhpura, Haryana, India
| height =
| currentclub = Kickstart
| clubnumber = 8
| position = Forward
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 =
| years1 = 2016–2017
| clubs1 = Alakhpura FC
| caps1 = 10
| goals1 = 15
| years2 = 2017–2018
| clubs2 = Rising Student's Club
| caps2 = 8
| goals2 = 3
| years3 = 2019–2021
| clubs3 = Gokulam Kerala
| caps3 =
| goals3 =
| years4 = 2022
| clubs4 = Sethu
| caps4 =
| goals4 =
| years5 = 2023–2024
| clubs5 = Odisha
| caps5 =
| goals5 =
| years6 = 2024–
| clubs6 = Kickstart
| caps6 =
| goals6 =
| nationalyears1 = 2014–2015
| nationalteam1 = India U19
| nationalcaps1 = 3
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 2016–
| nationalteam2 = India
| nationalcaps2 = 57
| nationalgoals2 = 11
| club-update = 16 May 2019
| ntupdate = 26 February 2025
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalCompetition|South Asian Games}}
{{MedalGold|2016 India|Team}}
}}
Sanju Yadav (born 12 September 1997) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Kickstart in the Indian Women's League and the India women's national football team.
Early life
Born in the village of Alakhpura, Yadav began playing football at the age of ten in order to gain scholarships and money for her family.{{cite news|last1=Sural|first1=Ajay|title=Alakhpura village labourer's daughter to play for Indian women's soccer team today|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/w/picAlakhpura-village-labourers-daughter-to-play-for-Indian-womens-soccer-team-today/articleshow/56191791.cms|access-date=27 December 2016|work=Times of India|date=27 December 2016}} She mainly trains with her village players and the India national team.{{cite news|last1=Sural|first1=Ajay|title=These footballers get a kick by beating odds|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/These-footballers-get-a-kick-by-beating-odds/articleshow/54387675.cms|access-date=27 December 2016|work=Times of India|date=18 September 2016}}
Domestic career
In October 2016, Sanju was part of the Alakhpura side that took part in the preliminary round of the Indian Women's League. On 17 October 2016, she scored a hattrick for the club against Bodyline. This helped her side win 4–0.{{cite news|title=India Women's League Preliminary Round Kicks-off in Odisha|url=https://www.the-aiff.com/news-center-details.htm?id=7531|access-date=27 December 2016|work=The All India Football Federation|date=17 October 2016}} She emerged the top scorer at the league's preliminary round, netting 11 goals and thus helping her team qualify for the tournament's final round. At the final round of the women's league she helped her team qualify in the semi finale by scoring three goals.
On 21 December 2016, after her performances for both her club and country, Yadav was named the AIFF Emerging Player of the Year.{{cite news|title=Jeje Lalpekhlua is 2016 AIFF Player of the Year|url=https://www.the-aiff.com/news-center-details.htm?id=7722|access-date=27 December 2016|work=The All India Football Federation|date=21 December 2016}}
She then joined Rising Student's Club for the 2017-18 Indian Women's League and scored 2 goals for the club in the Final Round. In 2019 she joined Gokulam Kerala FC.
International career
In February 2016, Yadav was selected as a member of the 20-woman India squad that would participate in the 2016 South Asian Games.{{cite news|title=20 selected in Indian squad for 12th South Asian Games|url=https://www.the-aiff.com/news-center-details.htm?id=6972|access-date=27 December 2016|work=The All India Football Federation|date=1 February 2016}} She made her debut and scored her first goal internationally on 13 February 2016 against Bangladesh. Her goal in the 74th minute was the fourth as India won 5–1 and moved into the gold medal match.{{cite news|title='Hardships made me a better Player'|url=https://www.the-aiff.com/news-center-details.htm?id=7037|access-date=27 December 2016|work=The All India Football Federation|date=1 March 2016}} Two days later she came on as a substitute in the 69th minute as India won the tournament, defeating Nepal 4–0 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong.{{cite news|title=Indian Women win Gold in South Asian Games|url=https://www.the-aiff.com/news-center-details.htm?id=7013|access-date=27 December 2016|work=The All India Football Federation|date=15 February 2016}}
Career statistics
=International=
{{Updated|26 February 2025}}
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="3" |International caps and goals | |
| Year
!Caps | Goals |
|---|---|
| 2016
|6 |2 | |
| 2017
|2 |1 | |
| 2018
|3 |0 | |
| 2019
|22 |8 | |
| 2021
|6 |0 | |
| 2022
|2 |0 | |
| 2023
|4 |0 | |
| 2024
|10 |0 | |
| 2025
|2 |0 | |
| Total
!57 !11 |
:Scores and results list India's goal tally first.
| class="wikitable" | ||||||
| +List of international goals scored by Sanju Yadav
! No. !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition | ||||||
| 1. | 13 February 2016 | Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Shillong, India | {{fbw|BAN}} | align=center|4–1 | align=center| 5–1 | 2016 South Asian Games |
| 2. | 27 December 2016 | Kanchenjunga Stadium, Siliguri, India | {{fbw|AFG|2013}} | align=center|5–1 | align=center| 5–1 | 2016 SAFF Women's Championship |
| 3. | 11 November 2018 | Thuwunna Stadium, Yangon, Myanmar | {{fbw|BAN}} | align=center|6–0 | align=center| 7–1 | 2020 Olympic Qualifiers |
| 4. | 21 January 2019 | Hong Kong | {{fbw|HKG}} | align=center|3–1 | align=center| 5–2 | Friendly |
| 5. | 30 January 2019 | Benteng Taruna Stadium, Tangerang, Indonesia | {{fbw|INA}} | align=center|1–0 | align=center| 2–0 | Friendly |
| 6. | rowspan=3| 1 March 2019 | rowspan=3| Alanya, Turkey | rowspan=3| {{fbw|TKM}} | align=center|2–0 | rowspan=3 align=center| 10–0 | rowspan=3| 2019 Turkish Women's Cup |
| 7. | align=center|3–0 | |||||
| 8. | align=center|7–0 | |||||
| 9. | rowspan=2| 13 March 2019 | rowspan=2| Sahid Rangasala, Biratnagar, Nepal | rowspan=2| {{fbw|MDV}} | align=center|4–0 | rowspan=2 align=center| 6–0 | rowspan=2| 2019 SAFF Women's Championship |
| 10. | align=center|6–0 | |||||
| 11. | 9 April 2019 | Mandalar Thiri Stadium, Mandalay, Myanmar | {{fbw|MYA}} | align=center|2–2 | align=center| 3–3 | 2020 Olympic Qualifiers |
Honours
India
- SAFF Women's Championship: 2016, 2019
- South Asian Games Gold medal: 2016
Odisha
- Indian Women's League: 2023–24{{cite news|title=Odisha FC take home the IWL trophy with stunning ease|url=https://i-league.org/odisha-fc-take-home-the-iwl-trophy-with-stunning-ease/|website=i-league.org|publisher=I-League|date=24 March 2024|access-date=24 March 2024}}
Rising Students Club
Individual
- AIFF Women's Emerging Player of the Year: 2016
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.the-aiff.com/players/profile/57478 Sanju Yadav] at All India Football Federation
- {{GSA player|sanju/175913}}
{{India squad 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yadav, Sanju}}
Category:Indian women's footballers
Category:Sportswomen from Haryana
Category:Footballers from Haryana
Category:People from Bhiwani district
Category:India women's international footballers
Category:India women's youth international footballers
Category:Women's association football forwards
Category:South Asian Games gold medalists for India
Category:South Asian Games medalists in football
Category:Gokulam Kerala FC Women players
Category:Odisha FC Women players
Category:Indian Women's League players
Category:Footballers at the 2022 Asian Games
Category:Asian Games competitors for India
{{India-women-footy-bio-stub}}
{{India-footy-forward-stub}}