New Delhi: Greenwood Higher Secondary School, Nagaland goalkeeper Neithovilie was the star of the occasion as the North East team defeated Kalyangarh Bidyamandir, West Bengal 3-1 in the penalty shoot out to lift the u-14 boys title in the 53rd Subroto Cup Football tournament here on Monday.
The last year’s runners-up, who were playing with 10 players throughout the tournament since others failed to qualify the requisite medical test, would have to thank their goalkeeper for bringing home the title after he first kept the West Bengal side at bay during the regulation time and extra time and then showed his magic in the penalties.
Neithovilie stopped the spot kicks of Sanjib Bhowmick, Sourav Biswas and Prokash Sarkar and could not hide his elation after blocking the last shot that ensured that the team regained the title they had last won in 2008.
"This is my first time and it was a fabulous opportunity and I learnt a lot from this experience,” said Neithovilie, who was adjudicated the best goalkeeper of the tournament.
Earlier, both teams began at a brisk pace and it was Kalyangarh who had the first crack at goal in the third minute. However, Neithovilie stood firm to block the long ranger. The teams continued to push forward but failed to find a break-through in regulation time.
This was also the first time that the Nagaland team failed to score a goal in regulation time, having pumped in 22 in the three league matches and three more in the knock out stage while conceding just one.
In the shootout, Kalyangarh looked like the favourites since they had handled a similar situation during the semifinals and should have been better prepared. However, that was not the case as the three players succumbed to the pressure and played in the hands of the goalkeeper.
Nagaland Coach Mughato Sumi said the team had worked very hard after the disappointment of losing in the final last year.
“The introduction of the Nagaland Premier League has given huge impetus to football in Nagaland. Parents have become more open to send their children for
football,” he said, adding the team’s next goal is to train further and come back and win the U-17 tournament, which they have never won before.
The AIFF scouters also shortlisted 25 boys for one time scholarship of Rs 10,000 and 15 of them from the same poolwill be adopted by the Subroto Mukherjee Sports Education Society for training them, nurturing their talent.
In the girl’s under-17 quarterfinals, Oriental English School, Manipur got the better of Government Higher Secondary School, Nagaland in sudden death to reach the under-17 semifinal.
With both teams locked 1-1 after extra time, the penalty shootout was also an even affair with both teams converting all the five shots.
Manipur goalkeeper Pinky D then stopped the first shot of the opposition team in the sudden death to take her team to the last eight.
In the other last eight match, Government High School, Alkapuri, Haryana rode on a fourth minute strike from Sanju to beat NCC team 1-0.
Penalty shoot-out
Bengal 1 ( Sandip Roy) Sanjib Bhowmik;Sourav Biswas; Prokash Sarkar (Missed)
Nagaland 3 (Nyithung, Osen and Piketo)
By Indian Sports News Network
