BAPS Charities organised a national 5-a-side football tournament for children, the Pramukh Cup, on Saturday 19 July 2014 at the Mill Hill Powerleague in London.
The 17th annual competition saw a tournament high of 53 teams come together from a number of London suburbs and cities around the country, including Birmingham, Leicester, Luton, Manchester, Preston and Wellingborough.
The tournament began with the group stages where 107 matches were played with intensity and sportsmanship as the early damp weather was replaced by plenty of summer sunshine. The managers and supporters of the respective teams contributed to a vibrant atmosphere with vociferous cheering.
After the group stages, the nail-biting quarter-finals and semi-finals took place. A total of 36 goals were scored throughout these stages. The finals followed quickly thereafter, the first being the Ghanshyam Cup consisting of children of the youngest age group (6- to 8-year-olds) in which Manchester B fought bravely but were beaten by Leicester A who recorded a 3-1 victory. The second final – the Nilkanth Cup (9- to 10-year-olds) – was another intriguing contest where East London D defeated London Sunday School K by the same score.
Two very strong teams battled for the Sarjudas Cup (11- to 12-year-olds) in an evenly contested game between Leicester D and London Sunday School N. The Sunday School eventually pulled through, narrowly winning 2-1. The fourth final was the Sahajanand Cup (10- to 14-year-olds) played between Finchley A and Loughborough A who had earned their places in the final by playing some excellent football in the early stages. Both teams did not want to surrender an inch to each other and it was Loughborough who broke through Finchley’s defence to hammer home the winner and clinch the cup 1-0.
The fifth and crowning final was the Pramukh Cup (13- to 14-year-olds), played between two of the day’s strongest teams, Leicester E and East London A. East London A proved to be a little better on the day, finding their rhythm as the game progressed and scoring twice past the strong Leicester E defence in a 2-0 win.
The awards ceremony brought an exciting conclusion to an exhilarating day of football and fun. Awards were also presented for the best goalkeepers, best players and top scorers in the tournament.
The popular event encouraged outdoor exercise for children and brought together groups from diverse locations to instil valuable lessons of community cohesion and team spirit. A big thanks must also go to all the parents, team managers and of course the players.
A summary of prizes is listed below:
|
Cup (Age Group) |
Winners |
Runners Up |
|
Ghanshyam Cup (6-8) |
Leicester A |
Manchester B |
|
Nilkanth Cup (9-10) |
East London D |
London Sunday School K |
|
Sarjudas Cup (11-12) |
London Sunday School N |
Leicester D |
|
Sahajanand Cup (10-14) |
Loughborough A |
Finchley A |
|
Pramukh Cup (13-14) |
East London A |
Leicester E |
