New Delhi: Assam team put up a spirited effort at the BR Ambedkar stadium to beat West Bengal 3-1 in the final as the 64th Subroto Cup International Football Tournament Junior Girls Under-17 category culminated in New Delhi on Thursday. After the girls category kicked off on August 19, football enthusiasts witnessed 31 enthralling games in the last 10 days.
In what was a thrilling conclusion, Team Betkuchi High School, Assam got the better of Team Nandajhar Adibashi Pashili High School, West Bengal to claim the prestigious title. West Bengal created enough chances but failed to capitalise on them as Assam took the lead with a much better attack and defence strategies.
For Assam, Milina Brahma (24’), Sayasree Sangma (12’), Mari Mech (29’) scored the goals, while Neha Baroi (21’) remained the single goal-scorer from West Bengal. Assam had defeated Kerala in the semifinal match on August 25 while West Bengal got the better of Haryana in the semis clash.
Meanwhile, The final was graced by Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari, Vice Chief of the Air Staff, who was the Chief Guest. Arjuna Awardee and Olympic gold medalist Navdeep Singh, para-athlete and javelin thrower was the Guest of Honour for the occasion.
The event concluded with a dazzling award distribution and prize distribution ceremony. Earlier, the day’s events commenced with a grand performance by the Air Warrior Drill Team, which was followed by a vibrant cultural performance by students from the Air Force Golden Jubilee Institute.
Meanwhile, after the 200 matches across all the three categories (U-17 girls, U-15 boys & U-17 boys) are completed on September 25, top scouted players will get a chance to train in Germany under TV9 Network’s News9 Indian Tigers and Tigresses talent hunt initiative.
In the current edition, this was the only category for the girls with the tournament now moving to Bengaluru where the sub-junior boys under-15 matches will take place from September 2-11. After the Bengaluru leg is over, the Subroto Cup will return to Delhi with the junior boys under-17 matches scheduled in the national capital which would mark the culmination of the edition on September 25.
TV9’s News9 Indian Tigers and Tigresses a superb initiative: Navdeep Singh
Indian para-athlete and javelin thrower Navdeep Singh, who made the country proud by bagging an elusive gold medal at the 2024 Paris Paralympics praised TV9’s Network’s News9 Tigers and Tigresses football hunt initiative. Speaking exclusively to News9 Sports, Navdeep, who was the guest of honour at the event, said that this is superb initiative taken by the TV9 Network.
The para-athlete further said that international exposure will help the Indian boys and girls learn the tricks of the trade from the international coaches and this way, they can pick their learnings and include them in the gameplay. Navdeep also admitted that there is a difference between how the international footballers play and how we play and initiatives like these would help in filling the gap.
Speaking about the Subroto Cup, Navdeep said that this is the best platform for boys and girls who wish to take up football professionally. Talented kids in the country are picked from tournaments like these and more domestic tournaments should be organised in the country so that we are ready with some star athletes ahead of the 2036 Olympics.
Secretary General Subroto Cup praises TV9’s News9 Indian Tigers and Tigresses
Group Captain Gajanand Yadava, who is the honorary secretary of the Subroto Cup praised TV9 Network’s News9 Indian Tigers and Tigresses football talent hunt initiative which has collaborated with the tournament for a second consecutive year. Yadava said that TV9 is doing a terrific job and they continue to support us this year also.
He further said that he hoped this support from the TV9 Network continues in the years to come and he encourages youngsters to have a passion for the sport. Further commenting, he said that such tournaments give us a platform to hunt the talent and thereafter, feed them to the various clubs which opens a way for national and international competitions participation.
Wing commander SS Dhankar, who is the chief coordinator of the Subroto Cup, also spoke exclusively to News9 Sports and said that football tournaments like these pick children from the grassroot level and help them realise their journey. Calling it a lifetime opportunity, Dhankar said that they should fully enjoy every moment of it.