|
|
Football Association of Odisha (FAO) XI emerged champions in the 20th Tata-Utkalika Cup Invitation Football Tournament, dethroning defending champions Tata Football Academy (TFA), Jamshedpur in the keenly contested final by 4-2 goals, via tie-breaker here at Unit-VI High School ground today.
Tie-break rule was applied after play in the regulation time ended in goalless draw. FAO XI converted first four of their five penalty kicks through Sunil Sardar, D Srinath, Kartik Bhola and Rudra Pradhan to clinch victory, which fetched them a cash prize of Rs 25,000. The TFA side, which scored twice in the penalty shoot out through Baset Hansda and Gorachand Marndi, settled with the runners-up prize of Rs 15,000.
|
|
|
FAO XI goalkeeper and local lad Soumya Das, who saved two penalty kicks in the tie-breaker, was adjudged the Player of the Final Match.The prizes for the Player of the Tournament went to Gorachand Marndi of TFA. Sk Kamaluddin of Barabati Sporting and Kartik Bhola of FAO XI received the prizes as the tournament’s best goalkeeper and best defender respectively. The prizes for Best Mid-fielder and Best Forward were bagged by Md Firoz Khan (TFA) and Bijay Behera (FAO XI) respectively.
Odisha SC & ST Development Minister Ramesh Chandra Majhi graced the closing function as chief guest. Sukinda-Angul Railway Project Managing Director Dillip Kumar Samantaray, Tata Steel Chief Resident Executive Manikanta Nayak, Resident Executive Nrusingha Charan Mohapatra, FAO vice-president Bhakta Ballabh Das, Bhubaneswar Athletic Association joint-secretary Naba Ranjan Patnaik, host Unit-VI Athletic Association president Tapan Kumar Mohanty, vice-presidents Akshay Kumar Das, Prafulla Mishra and secretary Dillip Kumar Das were present in the prize distribution function.
Local Unit-VI Athletic Association players Soumya Das, Rajesh Nayak and Kartik Bhol, who are set to represent Odisha in the Santosh Trophy Final Round, were felicitated on the occasion. The tournament, featuring 11 teams and offering cash prizes of Rs 25,000 for the champions and Rs 15,000 for the runners-up, was inaugurated by Bhubaneswar Central MLA Bijay Kumar Mohanty earlier on February 26.
RESULTS:
Feb 26 (Match No 1, PQF): Odisha United Football Club (Shahrukh Khan 11th, Mohammad Afridi 69th) beat Sangharsh Club 2-0. PoM: Mohammad Afridi.
February 27 (Match No 2, PQF): Yazdani Club-73 beat Jaga United Club 3-2 in penalty shoot out (Full time 0-0). PoM: Dikhshan (Club-73).
February 28 (Match No 3, PQF): Barabati Sporting, Cuttack (Saswat Swain 44th) beat Kishore Club (Padma Jena 36th) 4-2 in tie-breaker (Full time 1-1). PoM: Sk Kamaluddin.
March 1 (Match No 4, QF): Barabati Sporting beat Odisha Police 3-2 in penalty shoot out (Full time 0-0). PoM: Sk Kamaluddin (Barabati Sporting).
March 3 (Match No 5, QF): FAO XI (Sunil Sardar 14th) beat Yazdani Club-73 (Fagu Hembram 37th) 6-4 in tie-breaker (Full time 1-1). PoM: Amar Lakra (FAO XI).
March 4 (Match No 6, QF): Unit-VI Athletic Association (Siddhant Das 72nd) beat Samaleswari Sporting, Sambalpur (Karan Oram 14th) 7-6 via sudden death (Full time: 1-1 draw). PoM: Jagannath Maharana (Unit-VI Athletic Association).
March 5 (Match No 7, QF): Tata Football Academy (Gorachand Mardi 25th, Sourav Das 31st, Karandeep (82nd) beat Odisha United Football Club 3-0. PoM: Gorachand Mardi.
March 6 (Match No 8, SF): FAO XI (Sunil Sardar 47th) beat Unit-VI Athletic Association 1-0. PoM: Soumya Das (FAO XI).
March 7 (Match No 9, SF): Tata Football Academy (Gorachand Marndi 75th) beat Barabati Sporting (Sk Imtiaz Ali 14th) 5-4 in penalty shoot out (Full time 1-1). PoM: Sk Kamaluddin (Barabati Sporting).
March 8 (Match No 10, Final): FAO XI beat Tata Football Academy 4-2 in penalty shoot out (Full time 0-0). PoM: Soumya Das (FAO XI).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PHOTOS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOP: Players of FAO XI lift the Tata Utkalika Cup in the presence of guests and Unit-VI Athletic Association office-bearers on March 8, 2018.
RIGHT: Former Minister Padmanav Behera hands over the Player of the Match prize to Md Afridi in Bhubaneswar on Feb 26, 2018.
|