Twelve-year-old Ansar and his teammates from Kannur English Medium School were standing on the pavement seeing the football match going on in the Nehru Maidan while reminiscing the way they played against Cambridge School team. “We fought hard, we lost in the sudden death,” he said.
Although looking disappointed, the young captain Nauseed said: “Uncle this was our first tournament. This is also the first time we have come out of Kannur,” he said. The Kannur School's match was the inaugural match of the 15th Independence Cup Football Tournament that commenced on Monday. It lost to Cambridge School 4-5 and the match went on for 30 minutes.
As many as 22 teams of boys are playing in the matches for the higher primary section (Class 5 to 7) that was being held on Monday. It was for the first time that girls were participating in this division with four teams registering their names. The matches were held even as there were intermittent heavy showers.
Nervous
Being exposed for the first time, many girls were nervous before the first match between the Sacred Hearts Primary English School, Kulashekara and the Morning School, Bajpe. There was constant egging by coaches and senior schoolmates for tackles and attacks. Some players found it hard to control their emotions when they were criticised for lapses and weak defence. The Morning School team won this match 2-0 in the penalty shoot-out.
The first girl's match helped members of other two teams to acquaint themselves of the rules of the game. Members of the NITK English Medium School were keenly watching the penalty shoot out. “This is their first exposure to the tournament. They are yet to know the rules of the game,” said Sunanda Shivaram, Physical Education teacher in the NITK School. This team lost to the Lourdes Central School team 2-0 in the penalty shoot out.
Mayor Praveen inaugurated the tournament. The matches for the secondary school (53 boys and 8 girls team) section and the 28 pre-university course students will be held from July 20 and July 28 respectively.
Results
The Morning Star School and the Lourdes Central School teams have qualified for the finals in the higher primary girls division of the 15th Independence Cup Football Tournament, which is organised by the Dakshina Kannada Football Association.
Infant Jesus Joyland School will clash with Sacred Hearts School Kulashekara in the finals of the High School girls division.
There will be matches under different categories for the school and college students. The following are the results of the matches held on Monday.
Higher primary girls: Morning Star School, Bajpe bt Sacred Hearts School, Kulashekara 3-1 (tie breaker); Lourdes Central School, Bejai bt NITK Surathkal 2-0 (tie breaker).
High school girls: Infant Jesus Joyland School bt Mukthi Prakash High School Neerude 1-0; Sacred Hearts School Kulashekara Bt NITK “A” team 2-0 (tie breaker); Infant Jesus Joyland School Bt NITK “B” team 3-1(tie breaker); Sacred Hearts School, Kulashekara Bt Lourdes Central School 2-0.
Higher primary boy: Cambridge School, Neermarga bt Kannur English Medium Higher Primary School 5-4 (tie breaker); Hazzrath Sayyed Madani School Bt Sacred Hearts School, Kulashekara 2-0; Bharathi English Medium School bt Yenepoya School 2-0; Lourdes Central School Bt Kerela Samajam School 1-0; St. Aloysius “B” bt Bovi's School, Uchil 3-1 (tie breaker); St. Aloysius ‘A' bt St. Theresa 4-0; Milagres School bt Bagavathi School 2-0
