Last years runners-up Tata Football Academy, Jamshedpur emerged champions in the 21st Tata-Utkalika Invitation Football Tournament, defeating Phulbani XI by 2-1 goals in the final at Unit-VI High School Ground here today. The champion team received cash prize of Rs 25,000, while runners-up Phulbani XI were given Rs 15,000.

The tournament, featuring eight teams, was organised by leading local football club Unit-VI Athletic Association from March 12. Angul-Sukinda Railway Managing Director Dilip Kumar Samantaray inaugurated the tournament and handed over the trophy in the closing ceremony.

Rajak Nag bagged the prize as Man of the Tournament. The prizes for best goalkeeper and best defender were pocketed by Sudarshan and Morni (both TFA), while that of best mid-fielder went to Naren Sona.

RESULTS:
March 12 (QF-1): Phulbani Football Club (Rajak Nag 59’) beat Odisha Police 1-0. PoM: Rajak Nag.
March 13 (QF-2): FAO XI (Seikh Farid 20’, Bikey Sethi 67’) beat Unit-VI Athletic Association (Siddharth Das 18’, Pintu Behera 87’) 6-3 in tie-breaker (Full-time 2-2). PoM: Soumya Ranjan Das (FAO XI).
March 14 (QF-3): SAI Training Centre, Cuttack (Sakib Sehzad 11) beat Ispat General Hospital, Rourkela 1-0. PoM: Alok Ekka (STC).
March 15 (QF-4): Tata Football Academy, Jamshedpur (Manish 11’, Manas 39’, Chaitak 77’) beat Ahamadia Club, Keranga (Chetan Nayak 31’, Manas-OG) 3-2. PoM: Chaitak.
March 16 (SF-1): Phulbani XI (Rahul Mukhi 15’, 90+4’, Afridi 90’) beat FAO XI 3-0. PoM: Rahul Mukhi.
March 17 (SF-2): Tata Football Academy beat SAI Training Centre, Cuttack 4-3. PoM: Sudarshan Mahato and Shivnandan Yadav (TFA).
March 19 (Final): Tata Football Academy (Rabi 72’, Kilang 86’) beat Phulbani XI (Rajak Nag 7’) 2-1. PoM: Kilang.
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PHOTO: Players of Tata Football Academy receive the Tata Utkalika Cup in Bhubaneswar on March 19, 2019.