Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Jul 16: A young team of under 17 footballers from Bangalore’s Stadium Soccer Football Academy ‘B’ (known as ‘Phantoms’) showed what confidence and fighting spirit can achieve when they humbled a stronger and senior opposition from Bangalore Schools Sports Foundation (BSSF) by a lone goal in the finals of the Clarks Exotica 5 a side football tournament played at Swiss Town, Bangalore on Friday last.

There were 24 teams taking part in the league cum knock out tournament organized by veteran sports specialist Denzil Fernandes.

After hectic action in the league phase, Stadium Soccer ‘B’, Rebels, Huddlesford Athletic, Dream United, BSSF, JPFC, Stadium Soccer ‘A’ and Holy Rosary Church entered the quarter finals by winning their respective groups. Almost all the matches were nail biting and saw very close scores while a couple of them went into the tie breaker in the knock out stages. In the semis, it was Stadium Soccer ‘B’ playing against Huddlesford Athletic and BSSF facing Stadium Soccer ‘A’ for a look at the trophy. Here again, after a sea saw battle, Stadium Soccer ‘B’ prevailed along with BSSF to face each other in the finals.

Backed by their own band of supporters coming from the Bangalore city, it was a scramble for supremacy. In the end, the young and energetic Stadium Soccer boys squeezed with a solitary goal victory to lift the Clarks Exotica Trophy and the prize money of Rs15,000 while BSSF collected Rs10,000 as runners up. Other awards were: best goalkeeper: Lokesh (Stadium Soccer ‘B’), best defender: Kiran (BSSF), best forward: Amit (Stadium Soccer ‘B’, best midfielder: Leone Raul (BSSF) and best promising player: Tanmay (Flying Horses)

The Stadium Soccer Academy is a part of Stadium Sports Foundation which is a 5-year-old non-profit sports development registered trust based in Bangalore. They focus on bringing a social change through football and developing long term possibilities for talented youngsters to excel in the game of football. The academy run under Arun Bhatt hopes to churn out players who will turn out for the country eventually apart from playing for leading clubs around the world.

Jean Colaco along with a host of other guests distributed the trophies to the various winners in what was an absorbing day of fast paced football much to the delight of football lovers.

The tournament was sponsored by Ronald Colaco of Clarks Exotica Hotel while Columbia Asia Hospitals were the co-sponsors.