Excelsior Sports Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 23: Sports Council Football Academy (SCFA) defeated J&K Bank and lifted the title trophy of Youth League Football Championship-2022, played at TRC Synthetic Turf, here today.
While it was a must-win game for the J&K Bank colts to lay their hand on the coveted trophy and all Sports Council FA had to do was deny their opponents any such chance. The Sports Council FA defense guarded their goal post and shrank all the chances their opponents took to earn an extra point from the game.
Sports Council FA stuck to their game plan and settled for a draw which meant that the effort was enough to hand them over the championship badge. It was a second straight championship title for SCFA colts this season.
Earlier in the evening, the penultimate match of the league between SCFA Bandipora and SCFA Baramulla went into the kitty of the latter, claiming the victory by a solitary goal. Baramulla SCFA colts by this win were placed in third place in the league.
The Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Pandurang K Pole presided over the function as the chief guest who gave away the prizes to the participants.
While appreciating the efforts of the Sports Council, he said, “Conducting such activities and providing ample opportunities to the youth, enabling them to showcase their talent is a welcome step and need of the hour”. He added that Football is a widely loved sport in J&K and has a huge potential to produce many best players for the national team.
Joint Secretary J&K Sports Council, Bashir Ahmad Bhat, Divisional Sports Officer Kashmir, Nuzhat Farooq besides many other officials from Sports Council along with other Government Departments were also present on the occasion.
Bashir Ahmad Bhat Joint Secretary, Sports Council said that 12 top teams across the valley participated in the league which featured more than 300 players and officials as well. He added that the league was played in two venues, with Gani Memorial Stadium Downtown hosting 12 matches while six matches were played on Synthetic Turf TRC under floodlights.