But the KISS side, comprising well-trained tribal boys, asserted their supremacy for the rest of the proceedings. Hindurai Soren scored the equaliser in the 15th minute, booting home off a cross from the right wing and Sana Kumar Marandi struck the match-winner with a booming right-footer in the 40th minute.

KISS would have won the match by a bigger margin had not DPS custodian Suvankar Das come his team`s rescue on a number of occasions. HIs valliant performance fetched him the prize as the man of the final match.

Earlier in the day, Tapovan High School finished third in the month-long tournament, defeating Rama Krushna Sikhya Kendra by a solitary goal. DPS forward Dhyanendra Bhanjadeo, the top scorer of the tournament with 11 goals, including two hat-tricks, bagged the man of the tournament award.

Raison Marandi, Hindurai Soren, Sana Kumar Marandi (all KISS) claimed the prizes as best goalkeeper, best mid-fielder and best forward respectively, while the best defender prize went to Saranjit Mishra (DPS).

A special award was given to Sainik School for winning the tournament for a maximum of six times. Eight promising footballers of Unit-VI Athletic Association were felicitated on the occasion. They include Golak Pradhan, Suryabhanu Panda, Rakesh Behera, Kartik Bhola, Rajesh Nayak, Soumya Ranajn Das, Ashish Pradhan and Bijay Barik.

The final match and the closing function of the silver jubilee edition assumed significance with the presence of Shyam Thapa, one of the legends of Indian football. Renowned for his bicycle kick or back volley, the former India forward was honoured by State Sports Secretary Saswat Mishra.

Former East Bengal and Mohum Bagan star Thapa was all praise for the school footballers for showing excellent skills and for Unit-VI Athletic Association for promoting football at the grassroots level. ``Make hard work the mantra of your life, whether playing football or pursuing academics,`` Thapa, who helped India win a bronze medal in 1970 Asian Games and scored a goal for Bagan`s 2-2 draw against legendary Pele`s New York Cosmos side in an exhibition match, told the upcoming footballers.

Thapa handed over the winners` trophy and released the souvenir of the tournament. Odisha Olympic Association secretary Asirbad Behera, RBI Regional Director Pradipta Kuamr Jena, Tata Steel`s Chief Residential Executive Manikanta Nayak, Angul-Sukinda Railway MD Dilip Kumar Samantray, sponsors Kalinga Marine MD Maina Mishra, director Babi Mishra, Asimananda Mohanty and Kanika King S N Bhanjdeo gave away the prizes in the presence of former State Assistant Sports Director Ashok Mohanty, former OSAP Commandant Arabinda Mitra, Unit-VI Athletic Association president Tapan Mohanty, vice-president Prafulla Mishra and secretary Dilip Das.

Organised by Unit-VI Athletic Association the month-long tournament featured a total of 40 matches. This being the silver jubilee edition, side events such as penalty shoot-out, target shooting, long-distance kicking, quiz competition, unified football and exhibition match between veterans and mediamen were added to make it more attractive.

Former Minister Padmanav Behera inaugurated the tournament and unveiled the jersy earlier on August 19. Tata Steel Chief Resident Executive Manikant Naik, Kalinga Marine Managing Director Maina Mishra, Special Olympics Bharat Area Director (Odisha Chapter) Prakash Kumar Rath, Unit-VI Athletic Association president Tapan Kumar Mohanty, vice-president Prafull Kumar Mishra and secretary Dilip Das were present in the opening ceremony. Ala Raka Khan, one of the all-time greats of Odisha football, was felicitated on the occasion.

RESULTS:
GROUP LEAGUE:
August 19 (Match No 1): KISS (Prakash Chandra Murmu 24th, Sunil Murmu 39th) beat Mother’s Public School 2-0. PoM: Prakash Murmu.
August 20 (Match No 2): Govt Boys High School, IRC Village (Samai Hembum 47th) drew with Bibekananda School (Suryakanta Nayak 49th) 1-1. PoM: Suryakanta Nayak.
August 20 (Match No 3): Prabhujee EMS (Chandan Swain 31st) drew with Venkateswar EMS (Samuel John 57th) 1-1. PoM: Chandan Swain.
August 21 (Match No 4): Sai International School (Kamran Mohammad 5th, 34th) beat Vikash Residential School 2-0. PoM: Kamran Mohammad.
August 21 (Match No 5): Ramakrishna Sikhya Kendra (Naik Hansda 12th, 47th) beat St Xavier School, Khandagiri 2-0. PoM: Naik Hansda.
August 22 (Match No 6): BJEM School (Abhijit Sahoo 18th) beat St Joseph School 1-0. PoM: Abhijit Sahoo.
August 22 (Match No 7): Kendriya Vidyalaya No 2 (Ashutosh Basantaray 13th, Ashish Kumar Barik 24th) beat DAV School, Pokhariput 2-0. PoM: Ashish Kumar Barik.
August 23 (Match No 8): DAV, Unit-8 (Arpan Singh 42nd) beat St Xavier School, Kedargouri 1-0. PoM: Arpan Singh.
August 23 (Match No 9): KISS (Laxman Soren 6th, Prakash Chandra Murmu 24th) beat DAV, Chandrasekharpur 2-0. PoM: Laxman Soren.
August 25 (Match No 10): Vivekananda Sikhya Kendra (Suryakanta Naik 44th, Nikhil Das 48th) beat Unit-VI Govt Boys High School 2-0. PoM: Suryakanta Naik.
August 25 (Match No 11): Tapoban High School drew with Venkateswar English Medium School 0-0. PoM: Nabin Hembram.
August 26 (Match No 12): Ramakrushna Sikhya Kendra (Sumit Tirkey 6th) beat Kalinga Vidyapitha 1-0. PoM: Baidyanath Murmu.
August 26 (Match No 13): Kendriya Vidyalaya No 2 (Abinash Samal 20th, Ashutosh Basantaray 31st, 40th) beat Aurobinda Integral School (Debasish Barik 6th) 3-1. PoM: Ashutosh Basantaray.
August 27 (Match No 14): Delhi Plublic School (Seikh Ashraf Ahmed 12th, Ashutosh Padhy 14th, Dhanendra Bhanjadeo 18th, 35th, 40th and 43rd) beat St Joseph’s High School 6-0. PoM: Dhanendra Bhanjadeo.
August 27 (Match No 15): Sainik School started (Dullav Tudu 20th, 32nd; D D Rout 42nd) beat DAV School, Unit-VIII 3-0. PoM: Dullav Tudu.
August 28 (Match No 16): Government Boys High School, Unit-VI (Sanjay Sahoo in the 27th, Dushmant Nayak 47th) beat Govt High School, IRC Village (Purusottam Nag 4th) 2-1. PoM: Sanjay Sahoo.
August 28 (Match No 17): Sri Aurobinda Institute of Integral Education (Tapas Naik 17th) beat DAV School, Pokhariput 1-0. PoM: Tapas Naik.
August 29 (Match No 18): Vikash Residential School (Sampad Patra 10th, Singri Soren 18th) beat St Xavier’s International School (Ritesh Prasad 35th) 2-1. PoM: Sampad Patra.
August 30 (Match No 19): Tapoban High School (Birsa Soren 5th, Mohan Hansda 31st) beat Prabhujee English Medium School (Satyam Sahoo 33rd) 2-1. PoM: Mohan Hansda.
August 30 (Match No 20): Kalinga Vidyapitha (Prakash Naik 3rd, 41st; Bikash Naik 38th, Rajesh Bhoi 48th) beat St Xavier’s School, Khandagiri (Sabyasachi Soren 43rd) 4-1. PoM: Suryakanta Majhi (KV captain).
September 1 (Match No 21): Sai International School (Mohammad Kamran 16th, 30th, 34th, 38th) beat Xavier’s International School 4-0. PoM: Mohammad Kamran.
September 1 (Match No 22): Delhi Public School drew with BJEM School 0-0. PoM: Saransh Mishra.
September 2 (Match No 23): Sainik School (Devi Dutta Rout 5th, Ashok Jena 17th) beat St Xavier’s School, Kedargouri 2-0. PoM: Devi Dutta Rout.
September 2 (Match No 24): DAV School, Chandrasekharpur, got walk-over against Mother’s Public School.

PRE-QUARTERFINALS:
September 3 (Match No 25): KISS (Sana Kumar Majhi, Rupei Majhi and Khageswar Hansda) beat Venkateswar English Medium School (Subasish Pradhan) 3-1 in tie-breaker. FT: 0-0. PoM: Laxman Mallick.
September 3 (Match No 26): Kalinga Vidyapitha (Rajesh Kumar Bhoi 38th, 43rd; Prakash Nayak 41st) beat Vivekananda Sikhya Kendra (Suryakant Naik 12th, Siba Prasad Padhi 45th) 3-2. PoM: Siba Prasad Padhi.
September 4 (Match No 27): Sai International School got walk-over against DAV School, Unit-VIII.
September 4 (Match No 28): Delhi Public School (Dhyanendra Bhanjadeo 19th) beat Sri Aurobinda Institute of Integral Education (NA Narayan Rout 35th) 5-4 via sudden death. FT: 1-1. TB: 1-1. PoM: Jagan Behera (Sri Aurobinda).
September 6 (Match No 29): Tapoban High School (Nabin Hembrum 19th) beat DAV School, Chandrasekharpur (Biswajit 18th) 5-2 in tie-breaker. FT: 1-1. PoM: Sraban Mohanty (DAV).
September 6 (Match No 30): Ramakrushna Sikhya Kendra (Milan Behera 9th, 28th) beat Unit-VI Govt Boys’ High School (Sanjib Rao 34th) 2-1. PoM: Milan Behera.
September 8 (Match No 31): Sainik School (Durlav Tudu 17th, S K Behera 46th) beat Vikash Residential School 2-0. PoM: S K Behera.
September 8 (Match No 32): Buxi Jagabandhu English Medium School (Rohit Anurag Hembrum 8th, Pruthvi Das, Avijit Sahoo, Siddharth Mohanty, Pratyush Mohapatra beat Kendriya Vidyalaya No 2 (Sasank Routray 50th, Ashutosh Basantara, Dilip Mangaraj) 5-3 in penalty shoot out. PoM: Mohapatra.

QUARTERFINALS:
September 10 (Match No 33): Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (Shyam Kumar Marandi 13th, Laxman Soren 43rd) beat Sai International School 2-0. PoM: Laxman Soren.
September 10 (Match No 34): Delhi Public School (Dhyanendra Bhanjdeo 8th, 52nd) beat Kalinga Bidyapitha (Badal Swain 48th) 2-1. PoM: Dhyanendra Bhanjadeo.
September 11 (Match No 35): Ramakrushna Sikhya Kendra (Dhyaneswar Murmu 33rd, Avinash Mohanta 49th) beat Buxi Jagabandhu English Medium School 2-0. PoM: Avinash Mohanta.
September 11 (Match No 36): Tapovan High School (Rajiv Tudu 14th, 29th; Mohan Hansda 8th, Hindu Naik 25th) beat Sainik School (Ashok Jena 18th, Jitendra Murmu 44th) 4-2. PoM: Rajiv Tudu.

SEMIFINALS:
September 12 (Match No 37): Delhi Public School (Dhyanendra Bhanjdeo 10th, 29th, 47th) beat Ramakrushna Sikhya Kendra 3-0. PoM: Dhyanendra Bhanjdeo.
September 12 (Match No 38): Kalinga Institute of Social Science (Sana Kumar Marandi 8th, Deepak Kumar Barada 20th) beat Tapovan High School 2-0. PoM: Sana Kumar Marandi.
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TOP: Champions KISS boys lift the trophy on September 16, 2014.
RIGHT: Runners-up DPS boys with their trophy.