BAPS Charities organised its national annual 5-a-side youth football tournament, the Amrut Cup, on Saturday 11 July 2015 at the Powerleague in Mill Hill, London.
28 teams and almost 200 youths aged between 15 and 23 from communities across the UK joined together for an event that offered enjoyment, healthy competitiveness and an opportunity to foster community spirit.
In keeping with the format of other BAPS Charities football competitions, the tournament began with the group stage fixtures, which offered plenty of entertainment and talent.
The top two teams and best performing third-placed teams 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.
Two of the tournament favourites met in the quarter-finals of the Amrut Cup where South London A overcame a resilient Leicester A team in a nervy penalty shoot-out to set up a semi-final clash with Brent A.
Closely fought semi-finals were then played in the Nilkanth Cup. A couple of moments of individual brilliance inspired Milton Keynes to a 2-0 victory over Brent B. Brent D overcame South London B 2-1 in the second semi-final.
Last year’s finalists East London A produced a rampant team display in their 3-0 defeat of highly regarded West London A in the semi-final of the Amrut Cup. An excellent individual display from Rajiv Kataria proved to be a decisive factor.
In the other semi-final, Brent A defeated South London A 2-1 in a close tie which was decided with a winning goal from Saurabh Patel moments before the final whistle.
Brent A took a surprise lead in the final of the Amrut Cup before East London A gathered momentum and levelled the match before racing into a 3-1 lead. Brent A managed to pull back a goal but could not prevent East London A from going on to lift the trophy.
The final of the Nilkanth Cup was an end-to-end encounter which was settled with clinical finishing from Milton Keynes, earning them a 2-1 victory against Brent D to retain the trophy they won last year.
The popular event encouraged teamwork and exercise for youths leading busy lifestyles and strengthened community relations between youths from various towns and cities across the country.
A summary of team and individual awards is detailed below:
|
Trophy |
Awardee |
|
Amrut Cup Winners |
East London A |
|
Amrut Cup Runners-Up |
Brent A |
|
Nilkanth Cup Winners |
Milton Keynes |
|
Nilkanth Cup Runners-Up |
Brent D |
|
Trophy |
Awardee |
|
Best Player |
Rajiv Kataria (East London A) |
|
Best Goalkeeper |
Nimit Dodhia (Brent A) |
|
Golden Boot |
Biraj Parmar (Leicester A) |
