Ashoknagar Vidyasagar Bani Bhaban crowned 2013 Mahindra Youth Football Challenge champions!

Kolkata's Ashoknagar Vidyasagar Bani Bhaban was crowned Champion of the 2013 Mahindra Youth Football Challenge at the Bangalore Football Stadium today. This is the third consecutive MYFC title won by a Kolkata-based school. While Sukantanagar Vidhya Niketan won the inaugural edition in 2011, Pandua SBS High School triumphed last year.

The tournament gave India's finest under-14 football players from schools across six Indian cities and states a wonderful opportunity to display their skills and battle it out in a series of highly competitive matches.

The Mahindra Youth Football Challenge is the Mahindra Group's commitment to promote football at the grassroots level. The company has partnered with Scottish football giants, Celtic Football Club, who will take on the responsibility of training and developing young talent identified through the initiative.

Mohammad Habib, Umesh Das and Sumit Das stole the limelight with their superlative performances to help fashion a 4-1 victory over Don Bosco High School Panjim to emerge champions. The Kolkata team had impressed coaches from Celtic FC and onlookers with their excellent performances that proved too strong for their counterparts from Goa.

In a first half that was marked by a high-speed attacking game by Kolkata, the prolific Umesh Das scored the first goal with a sharp hit that caught the Panjim goalkeeper unaware in the 3rd minute of the game. In the 13th minute, this was followed by a second by striker Habib. The boys continued to show case their unbeatable skill as a third goal was scored off a rebound by striker Sumit Das and a fourth off a header by Mohammad Habib shortly before half-time.

The second half was characterized by better-quality defence by the team from Panjim. Trailing four goals to none, the boys from Don Bosco took the field with rejuvenated vigour which resulted in a confidence-building goal by Glevito S. Miranda in the 49th minute of the final match. However, the efforts were not enough to turn the game in their favour. Umesh Das from Kolkata was adjudged the Star Performer of the match for his outstanding performance in the high-pressure match.

Ashoknagar Vidyasagar Bani Bhaban Kolkata took home Rs 50,000 and a glittering trophy for their efforts while runners-up Don Bosco High School Panjim won a prize of Rs 30,000.

St. Joseph’s Higher Secondary School Calicut's Leon Augustine was adjudged the best striker, while the best goalkeeper award went to Aaron Koli of Don Bosco High School, Mumbai; Mohammad Habib of Ashoknagar Vidyasagar Bani Bhaban was named best Midfielder, while his team mate Suman Dutta was adjudged as best defender.

The winners received the trophies and certificates from chief guests A. R. Khaleel (AIFF Vice-President and Karnataka State Football Association president); ex-India captain Carlton Chapman; Vivek B. Singh (Jt. Managing Director – Procam International Ltd); Jose Ramirez Baretto, former I-League player; and Satish Pillai, Dhyanchand awardee for athletics and Bronze medalist Asian Games.

The list of 22 players short-listed for the 4 day training camp was also announced. To be conducted under the watchful eyes of coaches from Celtic FC, 2 – 4 boys will be chosen to travel to Glasgow to train at the home of Celtic FC.


List of 22 Players shortlisted for Celtic FC camp

Bijoy Banik (Kolkata), Aaron Koli (Mumbai), Lazim Ali (Kerala), Suman Dutta (Kolkata), Dhiraj Chauhan (Goa), Pavan Chitta (Bangalore), Umesh Das (Kolkata), Rudraksh Bajaj (Delhi), Rahul Swami (Mumbai), Sunil Rajbangshi (Kolkata), Leon Augustine (Kerala), Glevito S. Miranda (Goa), Keshab Das Munshi (Kolkata), Kapil Tyagi (Bangalore), Nuchiketta Dutt (Bangalore), Shantanu Debnath (Kolkata), Nathan Fernandes (Mumbai), Kiera James Kenneth Adams (Bangalore), Mohammad Habib (Kolkata), Javed Hasan (Kerala), Aryaman Singh Kanwar (Bangalore), Sandeep Roy (Kolkata)

GIFT School Parade including Sunil Chhetri, Sunil Shetty & ex-Internationals

The inaugural 'Goa International Football Table' was held over the last couple of days in Panjim, Goa; where stalwarts from the football community were discussing the scope and future of football in India and formulating a concise football charter for the state of Goa.

Some of the greatest football stars from yesteryears alongwith players from the present Indian football team had come together to flag off the 'Goa International Football Table'.

Current India captain Sunil Chhetri, who now plays for Churchill Brothers SC, along with Bollywood action star Sunil Shetty, Dronacharya Awardee Syed Nayeemuddin, ex-Indian football players Magan Singh and Inder Singh alongwith popular football juggler Jestes Antony kicked-off the parade from Marriotts Goa at 10.00 am and from there on visited different schools around Panjim on Saturday.

The star-studded float led by Dr. Rufino Monteiro (Chairman, GFDC) and a fleet of staff from Goa Football Development Council interacted with school kids and gave away footballs sponsored by Nivia-Freewill to promote the fun-loving sport.

The gala parade made a stopover at Don Bosco School (Panjim), Sharda Mandir School (Miramar), Our Lady of the Rosary (Dona Paula), Auxilium Convent (Caranzalem) and finally Red Rosary School in Miramar. While the kids were overjoyed to meet their favourite football icons, the highlight of the parade was the felicitation of the stars by the Principal of each school.

Speaking on the occasion, Sunil Chhetri, said, "The difference between all of us here and you'll children is that you still have a chance to choose a career. You can be anything that you want in life but always follow your dream and while you do that, it's very important that you take up a sport because no matter what game you play, the game is going to make you a better human being and I can tell you that from my own experience."

As the awardees followed the entourage with pride, school students and the locals on the streets joined the convoy with full enthusiasm while football stars kept the excitement going with their animated stunts and friendly approach.

Dempo's Godwin & Co take time out, visit school in Mapusa

Players of I-League champions Dempo SC residing in and around Mapusa took time out after their daily practice sessions to visit St. Anthonys High School at Monte de Guirim, Mapusa.

Midfielder Godwin Franco and his team mates took a morning out last Friday, February 1 to put smiles on the young faces at the residential school.

Students also got to meet other players including John D. Menyongar, Koko Sakibo and ex-student of the school Mandar Rao Desai. After the meet and greet, the players participated in a school program.

The visit was part of continuing efforts by the club towards their community and Fan-Base development, while also to popularize the I-League in Goa.

VIDEO: Dempo's School Outreach Program

Recently a contingent from I-League champions Dempo SC had visit St. Britto's High School, Mapusa as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility and Community Development Programme. Players - Godwin Franco, Koko Sakibo, John D. Menyongar and ex-school student Myron Fernandes, visited the school along with Dempo officials - Pundalik Raut Dessai, Abhijit Patil and Jonathan DeSouza. Here the Prudent Media report.

VIDEO: Goals from Subroto Cup final: Dynamo Kyiv 5-2 MSP Malappuram

Ukrainian giants Dynamo Kyiv lifted the Under-17 age group title at the Subroto Mukherjee Cup with a 5-2 defeat of MSP Malappuram from Kerala in the final at the Ambedkar Stadium in Delhi. Here are the goals from the match!

VIDEO - IBN: Subroto Cup in full flight

The 53rd edition of the Subroto Cup, India's national school football tournament, is currently being held in the capital New Delhi in the Boys Under-14 and U-17 and as well as the Girls Under-17 category. Here a report from CNN-IBN on the ongoing tournament.

Keventer Cup Allstar: 20 School Boys selected

The Keventer Cup, an inter-school football tournament in Kolkata, had been revived by the Debanjan Sen Foundation a few weeks ago which was won by La Martiniere For Boys with a 1-0 against St James' School at the La Martiniere ground.

Now a Keventer Cup Allstar team of 20 boys was announced from the inter-school football tournament. The boys were selected by scouts from the tournament and they will receive specialised training from coach Anit Ghosh and experts Jamshed Nassiri, Shyam Thapa and Alvito D'Cunha.

The school boys team will then play friendly matches at the CCFC and other venues across Kolkata.


Keventer Cup Allstar

Kewal Routh (Assembly of God Church School), Vardan Adiyan (Assembly of God Church School), Joshit Dutta (St James' School), Akash Mondal (St James' School), Mobasher Alam (St James' School), Abhishek Mitra (St James' School), Amir Khan (St James' School), Rohit Chetri (St Lawrence School), Anthony Hazra (St Lawrence School), Sheikh Saddam (St Lawrence School), Mahesh Kewat (St Lawrence School), Akash Dave (La Martiniere For Boys), Mohammed Adnan (La Martiniere For Boys), Nathan Alexander (La Martiniere For Boys), Asad Ahmed (The Heritage School), Shayon Moitra (The Heritage School), Akash Ghosh (The Heritage School), Rishiket Singh (Julien Day, Kalyani), Imtiaz Ali (St Dominics School), Sharukh Rahman (St Dominics School), Rahul Xalko (Don Bosco, Liluah), Bikash Paswan (Future Hope)

Keventer Cup: A Foundation revives school football tournament in Kolkata!

The Keventer Cup, an inter-school football tournament in Kolkata, is being revived by the Debanjan Sen Foundation. This was announced at a press conference at the Calcutta Sports Journalists Club yesterday afternoon with international footballers like Gouramangi Singh present.

The Keventer Cup will be played amongst the top 24 English medium schools in Kolkata. The tournament will be held across four different venues - La Martiniere, St James, St Lawrence and The Heritage School - simultaneously.

The tournament will kick-off on July 2 and the final is slated for July 21 with both these matches planed to be held at the La Martiniere for Boys School with Baichung Bhutia likely to inaugurate the tournament.

The Debanjan Sen Foundation was formed in memory of Late Debanjan Sen with the primary focus in developing sports, primarily football, in the school level and among the underprivileged. The Foundation takes its first step towards promoting School Football by organizing an Inter School Football Tournament in the Keventer Cup with the help and support of the Football Players Association of India.