MARGAO
Compassion Football Academy won the first edition of Inspire Cup organised by Anantpur Sports Academy in collaboration with the La Liga and Fundacion La Liga.
The Compassion team which was initiated two years back as a legacy initiative towards the FIFA Women’s Under-17 World Cup to be hosted in India were invited for the tournament as very few girls residential academies exist in the country which aims to create a national platform for girls under 16 in football.
Compassion defeated hosts Anantpur Sports Academy through a solitary goal scored by Prissy Pereira in the second half off a beautiful cross from Sanvi Bhowar in the 55th minute. The Inspire Cup attracted five girls' teams from different parts of the country and the teams were involved in a round robin league with two top teams qualifying for the final.
The Rural Development Trust's Sport for Development sector Anantapur Sports Academy (ASA), in partnership with La Liga, through its foundation and its Women's Football department (Spain), organised the first edition of Inspire Cup, from July 5-9.
Sanquelim-born Fatima Braganza, the star striker of Compassion, was awarded the golden boot for the highest number of goals in the tournament while Compassion skipper Vinoshka Fernandes won the best defender award for conceding only one single goal. The only goal conceded was in the round robin league match against hosts ASA in a one-all draw. Compassion gathered 10 points from three wins and one draw.
Gajwal FC - Telangana, YSR Sports School team - Kadapa, Life Sports FC - Chennai, Compassion FC and ASA Girls Team - Anantapur participated in the tournament.
The Compassion Football Academy team comprised of Ria Rajesh, Lysandra Rodrigues, Swellen Fernandes, Vinoshka Fernandes, Fatima Braganza, Riya Patre, Merlyn Mascarenhas, Prissy Pereira, Jazmine Fernandes, Amanda Dias, Geuel D'Souza, Amie Ferrao, Sanvi Bhowar, Elena Pereira, Merecia Tavares, Pradnya Gaunkar and Melisha Kujur. The team was trained by Prakash Khatri and assisted by Shubali Gaonkar while Elika D’Souza was the manager of the team.
