The sands of the Elliots Beach, Besant Nagar witnessed some intense football action at the finals of the Gamessa Soccer League tournament on Sunday.
In one of the final matches of the Under-17 category, the boy’s team from Udumalpet hammered Santhome 5-2 to win the trophy. The four-day tournament held for different age categories is the precursor for selection to the Homeless World Cup to be held in Amsterdam in Netherlands in September. 30 teams participated from all over the State.
Though the team from Chennai was beaten in the Under-17 final, the city can take pride from the selection of S. Vignesh and P. Parthiban for the Indian team to the Homeless World Cup tournament. The two lads hailing from slums in Santhome and Mylapore were groomed through Summer Soccer, a non-profit organisation based in Nagpur.
While Vignesh is studying in an Industrial Training Institute in Tiruvottiyur, Parthiban is working in a pharmacy company.
Akshay Madhavan, chief operating office, Slum Soccer, said collaborating with Gamessa has helped in extending Slum Soccer throughout the State.
The exhibition match between the British High Commission and Gamessa Soccer League also had an audience in beach-goers on Sunday.
