Sansar Invited to U-20 National Team Camp

April 30, 2008

TAMPA, Fla. – University of South Florida incoming women's soccer recruit Bahar Sansar has been added to Canada's women's U-20 National Team roster, a list of 24 players invited to attend a nine-day camp in Indiana.



"This event is a fantastic opportunity to play international games against Nigeria's senior side and Mexico's U-20 team," says coach Bob Birarda, in an article on Canadasoccer.com. "We also have an opportunity to play FC Indiana, one of the best women's teams in North America, who will be hosting these games and our camp. These games are invaluable to the players and to the staff as a significant preparation for the CONCACAF Women's Under-20 Championship."

Sansar will join the Canadian team that will play three games over the course of the nine-day camp. The team will play Nigeria's senior team on April 30, Mexico on May 2 and FC Indiana on May 3.


"After a long effort to visit players or speak with people from the National Training Centres, provincial programs, university programs, and W-League teams, we have invited a number of new players to the camp who have been performing at a very high level," said Birarda. "It will be very exciting to see how some of these new players adapt to the level and stress of playing for Canada."



Born in Istanbul, Turkey, Sansar plays for the Laval Comets, a team that plays in the USL W-League. She is also training at the National Training Center, working with the best players in Quebec, all of whom hope to make the Canadian National Team. In 2006, she played for the U16 National Team as well as the U16 Quebec Team that placed fourth in the national championships. She also played for the U18 FC Select Rive-Sud and was the U18 Quebec Elite Soccer Conference MVP. A member of the U15 National team that placed second in a tournament in Germany, Sansar was honored as the best elite player in Quebec in 2005. In the same year she was on the U16 Quebec team that placed fourth at the national championship and the U16 FC Rive-Sud National Championship and Quebec Cup Champions. Sansar earned academic honors in physics and is on the honor roll in her high school. She has been coached by Rudy Dolis, Mohamed Hilen and Lyonel Joseph. Bahar is the daughter of Ahmet Sansar and Farzaneh Farrokhi.



“To get a player with Bahar’s international resume and experience is tremendous for our program,” said USF head coach Denise Schilte-Brown. "She has exceptional tactical awareness and composure on the ball and should provide an immediate impact for us on the back line or possibly at defensive center midfield.”


Canada’s women’s U-20 team, whose title sponsor is Winners, is currently training for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Chile 2008. To qualify for the inaugural FIFA event, Canada will need to finish among the top three teams at the CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship. The FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup runs November 19 to December 7.