Alicolours at 18:44, 10 March 2026

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{{short description|Indian footballer}}
{{Western name order|Elangbam Panthoi Chanu}}
{{Meitei name|[[Elangbam]]|Panthoi|[[Chanu (name suffix)|Chanu]]}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Panthoi Chanu
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| fullname = Panthoi Chanu Elangbam
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|2|1|df=y}}
| birth_place = Keirak, [[Thoubal district|Thoubal]], [[Manipur]], India
| height = 1.73 m<ref name="AFC-squad-list">{{cite web |title=2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup Squad Lists |url=https://assets.the-afc.com/2026_AFC_Womens_Asian_Cup/Finals/Squad_Lists/AFC-Women's-Asian-Cup-Australia-2026%E2%84%A2-Final-Registration---Feb-25upd.pdf?source=url |publisher=Asian Football Confederation |access-date=27 February 2026 }}</ref>
| position = [[Goalkeeper (association football)|Goalkeeper]]
| currentclub = [[East Bengal FC (women)|East Bengal]]
| clubnumber = 1
| youthyears1 = 2008–2012
| youthclubs1 = Kakching WFA
| years1 = 2012–2019
| clubs1 = [[Eastern Sporting Union]]
| caps1 =
| goals1 =
| years2 = 2019–2022
| clubs2 = [[Manipur Police Sports Club|Manipur Police]]
| caps2 =
| goals2 =
| years3 = 2022–2024
| clubs3 = [[Eastern Sporting Union]]
| caps3 =
| goals3 =
| years4 = 2024
| clubs4 = [[Metro United WFC|Metro United]]
| caps4 = 14
| goals4 = 0
| years5 = 2024–
| clubs5 = [[East Bengal FC (women)|East Bengal]]
| caps5 = 20
| goals5 = 0
| nationalyears1 = 2010–2011
| nationalteam1 = [[India women's national under-17 football team|India U16]]
| nationalcaps1 = 2
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 2012–2015
| nationalteam2 = [[India women's national under-20 football team|India U19]]
| nationalcaps2 = 8
| nationalgoals2 = 0
| nationalyears3 = 2014–
| nationalteam3 = [[India women's national football team|India]]
| nationalcaps3 = 29
| nationalgoals3 = 0
| medaltemplates =
| club-update = 6 April 2024
| nationalteam-update = 10 March 2026
}}

'''Panthoi Chanu Elangbam''' ({{langx|mni|Elangbam Panthoi Chanu}}, born 1 February 1996) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a [[Goalkeeper (association football)|goalkeeper]] for the [[Indian Women's League]] club [[East Bengal FC (women)|East Bengal]] and [[India women's national football team|India women's football team]]. In March 2024, she played the South Australia Women's [[National Premier Leagues Women's|National Premier Leagues]] for [[Metro United WFC]] to become the first woman from India to play the [[Australian soccer league system|Australian Football League]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2024-03-29 |title=Manipur footballer Elangbam Panthoi Chanu becomes 1st Indian to play in Australian Football League |url=https://northeastlivetv.com/topnews/manipur-footballer-elangbam-panthoi-chanu-becomes-1st-indian-to-play-in-australian-football-league/ |access-date=2025-03-30 |website=Northeast Live |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Chanu is from Keirak village, [[Kakching district]], Manipur.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Kini |first=Tanya |date=2024-04-16 |title=Football: Meet Panthoi Chanu Elangbam – the first Indian player to play for an Australian club |url=https://scroll.in/field/1066133/football-meet-panthoi-chanu-elangbam-the-first-indian-player-to-play-for-an-australian-club |access-date=2025-07-14 |website=Scroll.in |language=en}}</ref> She is the daughter of Elangbam Chinglenkhomba and Elangbam Ongbi Shanti Leima of Keirak Makha Leikai.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Admin |first=IT Web |date=2025-07-09 |title=Goalkeeper Panthoi Chanu felicitated for AFC Cup qualifier achievement |url=https://www.imphaltimes.com/news/goalkeeper-panthoi-chanu-felicitated-for-afc-cup-qualifier-achievement/ |access-date=2025-07-14 |website=News from Manipur - Imphal Times |language=en-US}}</ref>

She started playing football at the local club, Women Football Academy Kakching. In 2012, she moved to [[Eastern Sporting Union]]. She played for Union and Manipur Police in the Indian Women's League and the regional [[Manipur Women's League]].<ref>{{cite web |date=11 November 2014 |title=2 Odisha girls in National football team |url=http://orissadiary.com/ShowSportsNews.asp?id=54867 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170221110302/http://orissadiary.com/ShowSportsNews.asp?id=54867 |archive-date=21 February 2017 |access-date=21 February 2017 |publisher=Orissa Diary}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=22 December 2016 |title=Indian Women's National team announced for SAFF Championship 2016 |url=https://khelnow.com/news/article/indian_womens_national_team_announced_for_saff_championship_2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170221105926/https://khelnow.com/news/article/indian_womens_national_team_announced_for_saff_championship_2016 |archive-date=21 February 2017 |access-date=21 February 2017 |publisher=Khel Now}}</ref> During her early days, she used to travel for 50 km everyday to the Imphal Academy to learn the game.<ref name=":1" />

==Career==
Chanu first represented the Indian team in 2008 when she played for India under 13 team. Later, she played all age groups, representing India in the under 14, under 16 and under 19 teams.

In December 2022, she along with [[Bala Devi]], moved to Spain where they underwent training cum trial stint at the Spanish [[Segunda Federación (women)|Segunda Federación]] outfit [[Málaga CF Femenino|Málaga]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/bala-sets-sights-on-spains-top-division/articleshow/96719645.cms |title=Bala sets sights on Spain's top division |website=timesofindia.indiatimes.com |publisher=[[The Times of India]] |location=Panaji |first=Marcus |last=Mergulhao |date=4 January 2023 |access-date=4 January 2023 |agency=TNN |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230103185128/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/bala-sets-sights-on-spains-top-division/articleshow/96719645.cms?from=mdr |archive-date=3 January 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2024, she signed a contract with the second tier [[National Premier Leagues Women's]] club [[Metro United WFC]] in the [[South Australia]]n league, becoming the first Indian footballer to play professional football in Australia.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/india-keeper-panthoi-moves-to-australia-with-an-eye-on-a-league/articleshow/108799437.cms|title=India keeper Panthoi moves to Australia with an eye on A-League|date=26 March 2024|access-date=26 March 2024|website=indiatimes.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://thebridge.in/football/indian-goalkeeper-elangbam-panthoi-chanu-join-metro-united-wfc-46642|title=Indian goalkeeper Panthoi Chanu joins Australian club Metro United WFC|publisher=The Bridge|date=26 March 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/football/indian-football/indian-womens-football-panthoi-chanu-joins-australian-club-metro-united/article67994877.ece|title=Panthoi Chanu, an heir to Aditi Chauhan in the Indian women's team, joins Australian club Metro United|date=26 March 2024|access-date=26 March 2024|website=sportstar.thehindu.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240326165809/https://sportstar.thehindu.com/football/indian-football/indian-womens-football-panthoi-chanu-joins-australian-club-metro-united/article67994877.ece|archive-date=26 March 2024}}</ref> She was spotted by head coach Paul Morris at the Women in Sports Elite Football Trials in October 2023 and later trained at the A-League club, [[Adelaide United FC (women)|Adelaide United FC]].<ref name=":1" />

In 2025, she was part of the Indian team that participated in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifier 2026 at Chiang Mai, Thailand. After her return, she was felicitated at a function in her village Keirak.<ref name=":2" />

=== Domestic ===
In the Hero Women’s National Football Championship, she played for Manipur Police and Manipur.<ref>{{Cite web |title=AIFF Senior National Team - Elangbam Panthoi Chanu |url=https://www.the-aiff.com/players/profile/57618 |access-date=2025-07-14 |website=AIFF}}</ref>

==Career statistics==
===International===
{{Updated|10 March 2026}}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
!National team!!Year!!Caps!!Goals
|-
| rowspan=12|[[India women's national football team|India]]
|2014
|1
|0
|-
|2015
|0
|0
|-
|2016
|0
|0
|-
|2017
|5
|0
|-
|2018
|0
|0
|-
|2019
|1
|0
|-
|2021
|0
|0
|-
|2022
|0
|0
|-
|2023
|4
|0
|-
|2024
|7
|0
|-
|2025
|8
|0
|-
|2026
|3
|0
|-
! colspan=2|Total
!29
!0
|}

==Honours==

'''India'''
* [[SAFF Women's Championship]]: [[2014 SAFF Women's Championship|2014]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.indiafooty.com/2014/11/10/indian-womens-squad-announced-for-saff-championship/ |title=Indian women's squad announced for SAFF Championship |website=India Footy |last=Shukla |first=Abhishek |accessdate=19 February 2022 |archive-date=7 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220907050536/https://www.indiafooty.com/2014/11/10/indian-womens-squad-announced-for-saff-championship/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[2016 SAFF Women's Championship|2016]]
* [[Football at the South Asian Games|South Asian Games]] Gold medal: [[Football at the 2016 South Asian Games – Women's tournament|2016]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.the-aiff.com/article/20-selected-in-indian-squad-for-12th-south-asian-games|title=20 selected in Indian squad for 12th South Asian Games|website=AIFF|date=1 February 2016|access-date=10 December 2023}}</ref> [[Football at the 2019 South Asian Games – Women's tournament|2019]]

'''East Bengal'''
* [[Indian Women's League]]: [[2024–25 Indian Women's League|2024–25]]

'''Eastern Sporting Union'''
*[[Indian Women's League]]: [[2016–17 Indian Women's League|2016–17]]

'''Manipur'''
* [[Rajmata Jijabai Trophy]]: [[2019–20 Rajmata Jijabai Trophy|2019–20]]

'''Individual'''
* Indian Women's League Best Goalkeeper: [[2017–18 Indian Women's League season|2017–18]]<ref name="the-aiff.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.the-aiff.com/news-center-details.htm?id=8910|title=RISING STUDENT CLUB CROWNED CHAMPIONS OF HERO IWL|date=14 April 2018}}</ref>

==Awards==

* She bagged the Women's goalkeeper of the year award by AIFF for 2024 season. She played for East Bengal.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-05-02 |title=Mohun Bagan Star Subhasish Bose Named India's Best Footballer — Full AIFF Awards List Inside! |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/football/indian-football/aiff-2024-25-awards-subhasish-bose-soumya-guguloth-best-indian-footballers/article69530728.ece |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=Sportstar |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of Indian expatriate footballers]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.the-aiff.com/players/profile/57618 Elangbam Panthoi Chanu] at All India Football Federation
* {{GSA player|elangbam-panthoi/51341}}

{{India squad 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chanu, Panthoi}}
[[Category:1996 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian women's footballers]]
[[Category:India women's international footballers]]
[[Category:India women's youth international footballers]]
[[Category:Footballers from Manipur]]
[[Category:Sportswomen from Manipur]]
[[Category:People from Thoubal district]]
[[Category:Women's association football goalkeepers]]
[[Category:Eastern Sporting Union players]]
[[Category:East Bengal FC Women players]]
[[Category:Indian Women's League players]]
[[Category:Footballers at the 2022 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Games footballers for India]]
[[Category:South Asian Games gold medalists for India]]
[[Category:South Asian Games medalists in football]]
[[Category:Indian expatriate women's footballers]]
[[Category:Indian expatriate sportspeople in Australia]]
[[Category:Expatriate women's soccer players in Australia]]
[[Category:2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup players]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian sportswomen]]

Panthoi Chanu Elangbam - Revision history

Alicolours at 18:44, 10 March 2026