The capital of the country, part of the RFYS family from its inception, and home to an array of talented youngsters, Delhi prepares itself to host finals in 4 different categories. Over 1000+ institutes competed hard over a two-and-a-half-month span, and we are down to the final eight who are ready to battle for the championship throne.
The first game of the day will see the two teams of College Boys category battling it out for the glory. Motilal Nehru College Evening’s journey effectively started on 20th September and the day epitomised their journey to the final as they cruised to numerous comfortable victories. Their counterparts are no minnows, as Sri Venkateswara College defeated last year’s national champions, Zakir Husain Delhi College in the semi-final. They started the semi-final on the front foot – racing to a two-goal lead. Praduman Yadav scored one to make it 2-1, but Devansh Tandon’s brace ensured the victory for Sri Venkateswara College as they eased their way to the final.
Army Public School’s journey to the Junior Boys final is quintessential of a team capable of blow-out wins and grinding out when it matters. The young guns have shown they can play scintillating football, while also maintaining composure when goings get tough, as evident by their penalty shootout victory in the semi-final. They will be up against Vedas International School who haven’t broken a sweat on their way to the final. Vedas International School have enjoyed close to complete domination as they have swept aside every team. Their attack has come out firing in every game, with Anshul Ravi and Atharva Airen topping the scoring charts with 7 and 4 goals respectively, while their defence has conceded only two goals in the entire campaign. The match-up promises to be an exciting one with Army Public School known for their mental resilience and Vedas International School who have looked unstoppable so far.
In the School Girls category, Ahlcon Public School controlled their quarter final tie from start to finish in what was predicted to be a closely contested game. Their talisman, Anisha Dogra, scored 4 goals and was adjudged the man of the match in her team’s dazzling performance. They carried their heavy goal scoring exploits into the semi-finals and thrashed Kendriya Vidyalaya 4-0. They haven’t conceded a goal so far in the tournament and head into the finals in great form. They face a Fr. Agnel School team that have been every bit as impressive on their road to final, amassing a total of 16 goals in 3 games, while also maintaining a shut-out in all their games. The attacking trio of Seema Bebortha, Chandani Rawat, Anoushka Saxena have combined to score 11 of those goals and a lot will be on their shoulders to deliver in the finals.
Senior Boys of Air Force Bal Bharati School cruised through their group and league games, registering big victories on the trot. They faced their first real test of the tournament in the semi-final and displayed immense strength and character to edge out Ryan International School in an enthralling penalty shootout. On their road to final, Air Force Bal Bharati School have tasted no defeat and scored a total of 16 goals. They square off against Mamta Modern Senior Secondary School, who themselves have had an outstanding run to the final. In the semi-final clash, they recorded a convincing 4-0 victory as they dismantled the defence of Army Public School Delhi.
With the National Qualifiers on the horizon, the teams will have their eyes all set on the ultimate glory. If the last two years are anything to go by, we are awaiting an exciting day of footballing action. The games will be broadcasted live on the Facebook page, as well as the website. Don’t forget to tune in tomorrow!