New Delhi, October 13 (MTNews): Nagaland won the U-17 Subroto Cup for the first time in 42 years, defeating Chandigarh 1 -0 in the finals. The Pilgrim Higher Secondary School (PHSS) from Dimapur, representing Nagaland, defeated Government Model Higher Secondary School, Sector 37 (GMHSS-37), Chandigarh by a solidarity goal on Thursday evening to win the prestigious 61st Subroto Cup International Football Tournament for U-17 boys played at the Ambedkar Stadium in Delhi.
Setungchim made the difference again in a dramatic final match, scoring from a header during extra time to help Nagaland break the curse and claim the cup. It comes after a gap of 42 years when Govt. High School, Dimapur, was declared joint winners along with Ibemcha Higher Secondary School, Manipur in 1980 due to unavoidable circumstances. The Nagaland team lead by Mughato Aye as the coach and Akhihito Zhimo as the manager won a monetary reward of Rs. 3,50,000, as well as a trophy and citations.
Er. Zale Neikha, Advisor, Youth Resources & Sports, congratulated the team and coaches on their victory and stated that the team’s accomplishment is the epitome of hard work.
He stated that the boys from Pilgrim Higher Secondary School, Dimapur, representing Nagaland, displayed the qualities of champions, and that their collaboration and dedication contributed to the trophy’s triumph.
He praised the players for bringing laurel to the state and stated that overcoming a formidable opponent is not a simple undertaking since it demands extensive training, high levels of attention, and teamwork to be successful. While noting that winning such a renowned event is a red letter day for Nagaland football, he also hoped that Nagaland can develop these young players for future prospects and continue to bring laurels to the state of Nagaland.
He also wished for the players to continue on their journey in football discipline, with more triumphs ahead of them as they progress.
Nagaland team on their way to final beat Kejriwal High School, Bihar 3 – 1, outclass Fountainhead School, Surat 16 – 0 and edge pass Banpother Bengenabari HSS, Assam 2 – 0 in the league matches to top the Pool G. While overcame St. Anthony’s High School, Meghalaya in quarters via penalty shootout 5-4. In their semifinal match, they defeated CT Higher Secondary School Manipur, 3 –1 to make it into the final round.
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Best Player – Lemmet Tangvah, GMHSS, Chandigarh
Best Goalkeeper – Shotok Nikhuyi, PMHSS, Nagaland
Best Coach – Ankur Khanna, GMHSS, Chandigarh
Best School – Pilgrim HSS, Dimapur, Nagaland
Fair Play Trophy – 10+2 Zila School, Chabasia, Jharkhand
