SINGAPORE - The national Under-16 women's team kicked off a training camp on Saturday in Osaka, Japan as part of their preparations for August's Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-16 Women's Championship 2017 Qualification Round.

The training camp, which will end on Thursday, is being held at the J-Green Sakai. The team will play three friendly matches in three days against Japanese women's football clubs Vispo Sayama (Monday), JFA Academy Sakai (Tuesday) and Cerezo Osaka Sakai Ladies (Wednesday).

The 20-strong squad, with an average age of just 13.95 years, will be led by Chen Cai Ying, who is also the head coach for the women's national team.

Chen said: "This training tour is part of our long-term plan to develop our promising youth players by giving them international exposure.

"We have deliberately chosen a very young team because we have an eye on next year's AFC Under-16 Women's Championship, when most of them will be 14 or 15. Most of them still qualify for our Under-14 team, so I'm certain they will benefit from this experience."

The squad:

Amira Malik Faisal (Woodlands Secondary School), Aruna Ramanathan (Queensway Secondary School), Dorcas Chu (QSS), Ira Shafazirah Hishamudin (Shuqun Secondary School), Khairunnisa Khairol Anwar (Dunman Secondary School), Lee Weng Wai (QSS), Venetia Lim Ying Xuan (Manjusri Secondary School), Mira Ruzana Seherzan (Bowen Secondary School), Nadhra Qistiena Rohaizad (WSS), Nur Afiqah Omar (Greenview Secondary School), Nur Amirah Mohamed Rosman (WSS), Nur Darwisyah Noor Haidi (BSS), Nur Izzati Khairul Aljurah (QSS), Nur Syazwani Mohamad Ruzi (WSS), Nur Umairah Mohd Hamdan (GSS), Nurliyaana Abdul Latiff (GSS), Nurul Radiatul Ain Mohd Shahlan (Hong Kah Secondary School), Valerie Ong Siu Kym (Methodist Girls' School), Putri Nur Syaliza Sazali (QSS), Sharifah Khaliesah Syed Hassan (East View Secondary School).