The 64th Subroto Cup International Football Tournament began with a strong performance by the Government Higher Secondary School of Arunachal Pradesh, who won the opening match. They played against Sainik School of Odisha at the BR Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi on August 19, with the final score being 1-0 in favor of Arunachal Pradesh. The tournament started with a grand opening ceremony, attended by prominent figures including Air Marshal S. Shivkumar VSM and Subroto Mukherjee.
During the opening ceremony, Air Marshal S. Shivkumar highlighted the Subroto Cup’s significance in promoting football in India. He expressed his belief that the tournament would not only display the abilities of the young players but also inspire more people to become involved in the sport.
The competition started with a match in the Junior Girls (Under-17) category. In the ninth minute, Lucky Liam Tamin scored the decisive goal. The Junior Girls category involves 31 teams, divided into 8 groups, with teams from Sri Lanka among the participants. The group winners will advance to the knockout rounds.
This year’s tournament has 106 teams participating across three age categories: Junior Boys (Under-17), Junior Girls (Under-17), and Sub-Junior Boys (Under-15). The matches are scheduled to continue until September 25. The top players will be eligible for trials in Germany, as part of the News9 Indian Tigers and Tigresses Talent Hunt by TV9 Network. More than 200 matches will take place in Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru. The top players will then be selected for a training program in Germany.
The total prize money for the tournament amounts to ₹35,60,000. Matches will be held across various locations, including the Tejas Football Ground, Subroto Park Football Ground, and Pinto Park Football Ground in New Delhi. In Bengaluru, the Air Force School Jalahalli, Air Force School Yelahanka, and the Headquarters Training Command Football Ground will host the matches.