BAPS Charities organised a national 5-a-side football tournament for youths aged between 15 and 23 years, the Amrut Cup, on Saturday 19 July 2014 at the Mill Hill Powerleague in London.
Twenty-six teams and approximately 150 players from various communities across the UK joined together for an event that offered enjoyment, healthy competitiveness and an opportunity for fostering team and community spirit.
Similar to the other BAPS Charities football competitions, the tournament began with the group stage fixtures, offering ample entertainment and talent. The top two teams and best performing teams in third place from each group progressed to the second round of the Amrut Cup, with the remaining teams being entered into the quarter-finals of the Nilkanth Cup.
The highlight of the second round matches in the Amrut Cup witnessed defending champions Brent A edge past a resilient South London A 2-1 to set up a match against surprise quarter-finalists Harrow B.
The semi-finals of the Nilkanth Cup produced two close matches with the majority of the teams competing for the first time at this level. A couple of moments of individual brilliance inspired Milton Keynes to a 2-0 victory against Nottingham, whilst North London B overcame Brent B 1-0.
In the semi-finals of the Amrut Cup, last year’s finalists West London lost 2-0 against a rampant North London A team with the tournament’s top goalscorer Suraj Depala once again firing his team to victory. In the other semi-final, East London A repeated their single goal group stage victory over Brent A to win 2-1 with twin brothers Ravi and Rajiv Kataria once again impressing.
East London A stormed into an early lead in the final of the Amrut Cup with a goal within the opening 30 seconds of the game. East captain Himansu Odedra doubled the score soon afterwards as they looked to control the game. Although North London A managed to pull a goal back through Suraj Depala, the elusive equalising goal remained out of their reach as East London A triumphed 2-1 to win the trophy for the first time, defeating three previous champions of the competition en route.
The final of the Nilkanth Cup produced several goals, but it was a one-sided encounter as clinical finishing from Milton Keynes propelled them to a 7-0 victory against North London B.
The popular event encouraged teamwork and outdoor exercise for youths leading busy lifestyles and helped to foster community relations between youths from various towns and cities around the country.
Kevin Coleman, Inclusion Projects Coordinator at The Football Association, also attended and was given an overview into the tournament and how the organisers and The FA could potentially work together going forward. He also spoke to some of the players on the day.
A summary of prizes is listed below:
|
Cup/Award |
Winners |
Runners Up |
|
Amrut Cup |
East London A |
North London A |
|
Nilkanth Cup |
Milton Keynes |
North London B |
|
Golden Boot |
Suraj Depala (North London A) |
|
|
Best Goalkeeper |
Shrey Choham (East London A) |
|
|
Best Player |
Ravi Kataria (East London A) |
|
