Subroto Cup to kick off on August 19

New Delhi, Aug 12 (PTI) A total of 106 teams across three categories, including four international sides, will vie for honours when the 64th Subroto Cup kicks off here on August 19.

The prestigious tournament will witness players competing across three categories -- Junior Boys (U-17), Junior Girls (U-17) and Sub-Junior Boys (U-15).

The tournament, organised by the Subroto Mukerjee Sports Education Society (SMSES) under the aegis of the Air Force Sports Control Board, will be held across venues in Delhi NCR and Bengaluru till September 25.

"We will have international teams from Sri Lanka and Nepal participating, which speaks volumes about the tournament's global reach and rising stature," Air Marshal S Sivakumar told reporters.

"As we continue to pursue our ultimate goal of nurturing young talent, this tournament provides an ideal platform for school children to showcase their talent, gain exposure and prepare for progression into senior-level football." As part of the "Indian Tigers and Tigresses" talent identification campaign, seven players will be selected during the tournament for advanced training in Germany.

Indian women footballer Dalima Chhibber graced the occasion as Guest of Honour.

"This is where my journey started in 2011 and I am privileged to be a part of this and sitting here life has come a full circle for me," she said.

"We are heading towards a golden future. Recently, our U20 team also qualified for the Asian Cup. It is a sport that every country plays, we are taking steps in the right direction and it is a matter of time that we achieve success." The tournament, first held in 1960, was conceptualised by Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee to promote grassroots football in India. Over the decades, it has become one of the most sought-after inter-school tournaments in the country.

The tournament will begin with the Junior Girls (U-17) category in Delhi NCR on August 19, followed by the Sub-Junior Boys (U-15) category in Bengaluru starting September 2. The final phase, featuring the Junior Boys (U-17) category, will commence in Delhi NCR from September 16.

In Delhi NCR, matches will be held at Ambedkar Stadium, Tejas Football Ground, Subroto Park Football Ground, and Pinto Park Football Ground. In Bengaluru, matches will be hosted at Air Force School Jalahalli, Air Force School Yelahanka, and the HQ Training Command Football Ground.

The 106 participating teams will represent various states, union territories, and educational bodies, along with four international teams. More than 200 matches are scheduled to be played across all three categories.

An age-determination test will be conducted for the Sub-Junior Boys category in Bengaluru to ensure fair play and transparency.

"We will be carrying out skeleton age-determination test this year as per the guidelines of the All India Football Federation," Air Marshal S Sivakumar said.

In the previous edition, TG English School, Bishnupur (Manipur) were crowned champions in the Junior Boys category. Mother International School, Ranchi (Jharkhand) defended their title in the Junior Girls category, while Nongiri Presbyterian Secondary School, Meghalaya lifted the Sub-Junior Boys trophy in Bengaluru. PTI ATK AM ATK AM AM