New Delhi, July 7 (IANS) Defending champions Delhi Public School, RK Puram, and Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Faridabad, began their title defences with commanding victories as the fourth edition of the Oriental Cup got underway at Dr. Ambedkar Stadium on Tuesday.

DPS RK Puram defeated Vasant Valley School 5-0 in the Boys’ category, while Government Girls Senior Secondary School registered a 5-0 victory over Navy Children School in the Girls’ category.

Indian footballer Rohit Kumar graced the opening ceremony as the Chief Guest and interacted with the young footballers participating in the tournament. Also present at the opening ceremony were Fareed Bakshi, Founder, Oriental Cup 2026, and Arvinder Singh, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Oriental Cup 2026.

The opening day featured seven matches across the Boys’ and Girls’ categories, along with an exhibition match between NGOs STRIVE and Mera India Mera Adhikaar (MIMA).

Speaking on the occasion, Rohit Kumar said, “It is wonderful to see a tournament like the Oriental Cup giving young footballers a platform to showcase their talent and passion for the game. Watching these students reminded me of my own school days, when tournaments like these motivated us to dream bigger and work harder. Talent alone is not enough—dedication, love for the sport, and opportunities like the Oriental Cup are what help shape the next generation of footballers. I congratulate the Oriental Group for this fantastic initiative and wish the tournament continued success.”

In the opening match of the competition, defending Boys’ champions DPS RK Puram began their campaign with a convincing 5-0 victory over Vasant Valley School. After a goalless first half, Abhav Bhardwaj broke the deadlock in the 18th minute, then scored twice more within eight minutes to complete his hat-trick. Aditya Lal and Ridit Dang added a goal each to complete the victory.

Vasant Valley School responded strongly in the first Girls’ match of the tournament, defeating DPS RK Puram 3-0. Naavya Gogoi opened the scoring in the sixth minute before Unjila Khan doubled the advantage in the 13th minute. Tanvie Gogoi added the third in the final minute to seal the win.

Defending Girls’ champions Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Faridabad, also made an impressive start to their title defence with a 5-0 victory over Navy Children School. Somya opened the scoring in the eighth minute and went on to score three more goals to finish with four goals in the match, while Ishu added the fifth in the 24th minute.

Navy Children School secured a 3-1 victory over Venkateshwar International School in an entertaining Boys’ encounter. Vansh Raj Rana opened the scoring in the seventh minute before Dhruv Kumar Jha doubled the lead early in the second half. Daiwik Rana pulled one back for Venkateshwar International School in the 19th minute, but Vansh Raj Rana struck again in the 24th minute to seal the victory.

Sanskriti School edged Modern School 1-0 in the Boys’ category, with Mannan Machhan’s second-minute strike proving to be the difference between the two sides.

In the corresponding Girls’ fixture, Modern School registered a convincing 4-0 victory over former champions Sanskriti School. Aihra Sachdev gave Modern School the lead in the 12th minute before Dhwani Bidada scored a second-half hat-trick, finding the net in the 16th, 22nd, and 30th minutes to complete the win.

Delhi Public School, Vasant Kunj, rounded off the school fixtures with a 3-0 victory over Dev Samaj Modern School in the Boys’ category. Kanav Sharma scored twice in the first half, in the eighth and 13th minutes, before completing his hat-trick in the 23rd minute.

Earlier in the day, in the exhibition match between participating NGOs STRIVE and Mera India Mera Adhikaar (MIMA), STRIVE prevailed 3-1 on penalties after the match ended 1-1 in regulation time. Aditya opened the scoring for STRIVE in the first half before Rishant equalised for MIMA with four minutes remaining. STRIVE converted three penalties to MIMA’s one to secure the victory.

The Oriental Cup 2026, being held from July 7 to July 16, is expected to feature over 1,500 student-athletes representing more than 48 teams from across Delhi-NCR. The fourth edition features a more than doubled prize pool and a ₹2.5 lakh scholarship programme for 10 deserving student-athletes, further strengthening the tournament’s commitment to supporting young footballers on and off the field.

The fourth edition is supported by Oriental Structural Engineers Pvt. Ltd. as the title sponsor, with Nivia Sports as the Football Partner, Ocean Beverages as the Hydration Partner, and Central Park Resorts as an Associate Partner.

Match Day 1 Results:

Boys’ Category:

Delhi Public School, RK Puram 5-0 Vasant Valley School

Navy Children School 3-1 Venkateshwar International School

Sanskriti School 1-0 Modern School

Delhi Public School, Vasant Kunj 3-0 Dev Samaj Modern School

Girls’ Category:

Vasant Valley School 3-0 Delhi Public School, RK Puram

Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Faridabad 5-0 Navy Children School

Modern School 4-0 Sanskriti School

Exhibition Match (NGO):

STRIVE 1 (3)-1 (1) Mera India Mera Adhikaar (MIMA)

–IANS

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