PANAJI
Rosary Higher Secondary School, Navelim had to settle for the runners-up place in the senior boys' category of the Reliance Foundation Youth Sports National Football Championship played in Mumbai on Saturday.
In the final played at the Reliance Corporate Park, Ghansoli, Rosary went down 0-4 to Minerva Public School, Chandigarh. Rebanta Metei's 10th minute goal helped Minerva claim the first half honours in the second final of the day. Although Rosary were expected to come out hard in the second session, the Chandigarh lads raised their level which the Goan team found difficult to scale.
Their star strikers Makan Chothe and Konan Kouame, like they have done all season, powered Minerva's charge by scoring three goals between themselves to completely overpower the opposition. Two goals came in stoppage time that lasted more than 10 minutes with Konan scoring the first and Makan signing off with his second goal of the match. Makan had netted his first goal earlier in the 66th minute. Makan and Konan shared the golden boot award as the duo scored nine goals each in the National Championship.
Minerva's hopes of a double crown were dashed when Unique Model Academy, Imphal edged out their junior boys team 6-5 in a tie-breaker after both teams were locked 3-3 at regulation time.
Umthli Secondary School and Zakir Hussain College, Delhi won the other finals to claim the school girls and college boys titles respectively. All winners got prizes worth Rs 3 lakh each while the runners-up were richer by Rs 1 lakh each.
RESULTS (FINALS)
Junior boys: Minerva Public School 5 (3) (Kartik Nayyar, Arjun Sharma, Dalbir Singh) lost to The Unique Model Academy, Imphal 6 (3) (Lenin Singh, Chingkheingakpa Singh, Rohit Singh) via tie-breaker. Golden boot: Arpan Seth (Gangadharpur Vidyamandir, Kolkata); Golden ball: Takhellambam Chingkheingakpa Singh (The Unique Model Academy); Golden Glove: Nazim Ali (Gangadharpur Vidyamandir).
Senior boys: Minerva Public School 4 (Rebanta Metei, Makan Chothe 2, Konan Kouame) bt Rosary Higher Secondary School, Goa 0. Golden boot: Makan Chothe and Konan Kouame (Minerva); Golden ball: Gaurab Das (Kapasdanga Satin Seth Vidyapith, Kolkata); Golden glove: Irshad Mohammad (Minerva).
College boys: Baselius College, Kottayam 1 (Haris Rahman) lost to Zakir Hussain College, Delhi 2 (Aditya Singh Rawat, Karmanya Bansal). Golden boot: Damehun Sih (St Anthony's College, Shillong); GOlden ball: Aditya Singh Rawat (Zakir Hussain College); Golden glove: Akash Mondal (Netaji Nagar Day College, Kolkata).
School girls: PS Senior Secondary School, Chennai 0 lost to Umthli Secondary School, Shillong 4 (Wandashisha Mawrien, Aidaris Kharmalki, Nisilia Majaw 2). Golden boot: Nisilia Majaw; Golden ball: Marbarin Nongrum; Golden glove: Banrisha Wahlang (all Umthli Secondary School)
