Sabitra_Bhandari
Sabitra Bhandari
Nepalese footballer (born 1996)
Sabitra Bhandari (Nepali: साबित्रा भण्डारी), popularly known as Samba,[1][2] is a Nepalese professional football player who plays as a forward for Division 1 Féminine club En Avant Guingamp and Nepal women's national team. She is the all-time highest goal scorer in Nepalese football history with 49 goals. She is the first Nepali female football player to get international recognition.[3]
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Sabitra Bhandari | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1996-05-02) 2 May 1996 (age 27) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Simpani, Lamjung, Nepal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | En Avant Guingamp | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 28 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2019 | APF | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Sethu | 7 | (15) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | Gokulam Kerala | 7 | (16) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | Gokulam Kerala | 10 | (29) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | Hapoel Ra'anana | 2 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Guingamp | 4 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014– | Nepal | 46 | (49) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 27 February 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
At club level, Bhandari plays for APF Club.[4] she became the best women striker of south Asia at the age of 20. In February 2017 she was invited to play the Maldives women's league.[citation needed]
Sethu FC
She joined Indian Women's League side Sethu FC for the 2018-19 Indian Women's League season.[5][6][7] In her debut match she scored 4 goals for the club against Manipur Police Sports Club on 6 May 2019. She was also awarded with women of the match in her first match with Sethu FC.[citation needed]
En Avant Guingamp
She made her debut on Feb 3rd ,2024 coming as a substitute on 78th minute . She is the first Nepalese player to play in European league.
Bhandari represents Nepal at the international level. She participated in and even scored a goal against Bhutan at the 2014 SAFF Women's Championship. She represented the country during the 2016 South Asian Games where she scored two goals against Sri Lanka.[8] She scored the only goal in a friendly victory against Malaysia on 17 December 2016.[9]
Bhandari then played in Nepal's first match of the 2016 SAFF Women's Championship against Bhutan. She scored six goals as Nepal won 8–0 to open the tournament and scored 5 goals against Maldives in the 2nd group match.[10]
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sethu FC | 2018-19 | Indian Women's League | 7 | 15 | — | — | — | 7 | 15 | |||
| Total | 7 | 15 | — | — | — | 7 | 15 | |||||
| Gokulam Kerala | 2019–20 | Indian Women's League | 7 | 16 | — | — | — | 7 | 16 | |||
| 2022–23 | Indian Women's League | 10 | 29 | — | — | — | 10 | 29 | ||||
| Total | 17 | 45 | — | — | — | 17 | 45 | |||||
| Hapoel Ra'anana | 2023-24 | Liga Alef North | 2 | 5 | — | — | — | 2 | 5 | |||
| Total | 2 | 5 | — | — | — | 2 | 5 | |||||
| Guingamp | 2023-24 | Division 1 Féminine | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | |||
| Total | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | |||||
| Career total | 29 | 66 | — | — | — | 29 | 66 | |||||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nepal | 2014 | - | 1 |
| 2015 | - | 0 | |
| 2016 | - | 13 | |
| 2017 | - | 2 | |
| 2018 | - | 1 | |
| 2019 | - | 18 | |
| 2020 | - | 0 | |
| 2021 | - | 0 | |
| 2022 | - | 2 | |
| 2023 | - | 6 | |
| 2024 | 4 | 10 | |
| Total | 46 | 53 | |
International goals
Sethu FC
Gokulam Kerala
Individual
- Indian Women's League Top Scorer: 2019–20, 2022–23[12]
- Top Goal Scorer of 2016 SAFF Women's Championship,
- Best Player of Pradhansenapati International women's football tournament 2013,
- Seventh National Game Of Nepal 2013 women's football top goal scorer,
- 2019 Pulsar Sports Award woman's Player Of The year.[13]
- "Bhandari on course of becoming all-time best". kathmandupost.com. Archived from the original on 19 July 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
- "Nepal's all-time top scorer Sabitra Bhandari 'Samba' features in FIFA.com". The Himalayan Times. 2 June 2020. Archived from the original on 19 July 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
- Baniya, Sudesh (5 March 2024). "Feeding cattle to breaking barriers: Nepal goal machine Sabitra Bhandari". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
- "Women's Tournament Best Forward". GoalNepal. 3 May 2016. Archived from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
- "सावित्रा र अनिता भारत प्रस्थान". deshsanchar.com. Archived from the original on 6 May 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
- "पहिलो पटक इन्डियन लिग खेल्न जाँदै सावित्रा र अनिता". deshsanchar.com. Archived from the original on 6 May 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
- "भारतमा सावित्रा र अनिता". baahrakhari.com. Archived from the original on 20 June 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
- "SAG: Kamala Devi stars in India's title triumph". The Hindu. 15 February 2016. Archived from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
- "Bhandari's goal ensures Nepal victory over Malaysia". The Himalayan Times. 17 December 2016. Archived from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
- "Sabitra inspired Nepal routs Bhutan". The All Nepal Football Association. 26 December 2016. Archived from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
- "Indian Women's League 2023: Gokulam Kerala thrash Kickstart FC 5–0 to win third consecutive title". sportstar.thehindu.com. Chennai: Sportstar. 21 May 2023. Archived from the original on 22 May 2023. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
- "Gokulam Kerala steamroll Kickstart to complete hat-trick of Hero IWL titles". the-aiff.com. All India Football Federation. 21 May 2023. Archived from the original on 22 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- "सावित्रालाई उत्कृष्ट महिला खेलाडी अवार्ड". Hamrokhelkud.com. Archived from the original on 3 July 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
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