BAPS Charities organised a national 5-a-side football tournament for children, the Pramukh Cup, on Saturday 11 July 2015 at the Mill Hill Powerleague in London.
This year’s competition was the 18th of its kind and brought together 52 teams and more than 340 players from as far afield as Manchester and Preston. The tournament was divided into distinct competitions for various age groups as follows:
▪ Ghanshyam Cup (6-8 years)
▪ Nilkanth Cup (9-10 years)
▪ Sarjudas Cup (11-12 years)
▪ Sahajanand Cup (10-14 years)
▪ Pramukh Cup (13-14 years)
Motivational words from volunteers and organisers reinforced messages of sportsmanship and team spirit before the 120 matches in the group stages were played out in the warm summer weather. Team managers, parents and spectators provided plenty of encouragement and support.
The quarter-finals and semi-finals produced 87 goals and set the scene for the finals to begin in earnest, the first of which was the Ghanshyam Cup where Brent-Harrow A overcame London Finchley B in a nail-biting penalty shootout.
The final of the Nilkanth Cup proved to be another tight contest between two strong teams – Leicester C and London East C. London East C eventually prevailed with a 2-1 victory. Leicester were not to be denied a trophy, however, as the Leicester B team beat Brent-Harrow B 3-1 in the final of the Sarjudas Cup.
The fourth final – the Sahajanand Cup – was contested between London South C and London Finchley A who had played fantastic football in the early stages. Both teams did not want to give an inch, but London Finchley A eventually broke through the defence of their London rivals to hammer home the winning goal.
The fifth and concluding final was the Pramukh Cup where London Sunday School R and London East A, the two strongest teams on the day, produced a very enjoyable match. London East A’s quality and rhythm increased as the tie progressed and they ran out 3-1 winners.
The event concluded with the awards ceremony and a special vote of thanks for the sponsors, parents, managers and, most importantly, the players, all of whom received a memento.
