New Delhi, July 13 (IANS) Vasant Valley School, Modern School, Step by Step School, Noida, and Bharti Public School emerged victorious to book their places in the semifinals in the girls’ section of the Oriental Cup 2026 at the Dr. Ambedkar Stadium on Monday.

A lone Boys’ category fixture was also played, with Vasant Valley School securing the eighth and final quarterfinal berth after the remaining seven teams had qualified on Day 4 of the tournament.

Following a two-day weekend break, the action resumed at the Oriental Cup 2026 under bright sunshine and clear skies, with favourable playing conditions providing the perfect setting for an exciting day of football on Day 5 of the Girls’ quarterfinals.

To kick-start Day 5, Vasant Valley School booked the final quarterfinal spot in the Boys’ category after defeating Kendriya Vidyalaya, R.K. Puram 4-3 in a penalty shootout following a goalless draw in regulation time. Both teams displayed great intensity and attacking intent throughout the contest, creating several promising opportunities but failing to break the deadlock. The match was eventually decided from the spot, where Vasant Valley School held their nerve to emerge victorious and complete the quarterfinal line-up.

In the corresponding Girls’ quarterfinal fixture, Vasant Valley School registered a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Government Girls Senior Secondary School, NIT Faridabad. Tanvie Gogoi scored the decisive goal in the 30th minute, with her second-half strike proving enough to send Vasant Valley School into the semi-finals.

Modern School stormed into the semifinals with a commanding 6-0 victory over Sapphire International School in the Girls’ category. Dhwani Bidada starred with a superb hat-trick, finding the net in the 11th, 22nd, and 32nd minutes. Aradhya Sherawat added a brace with goals in the 13th and 24th minutes, while Keerti Panchal had opened the scoring as early as the third minute to cap off a dominant all-round performance.

Step by Step School, Noida, booked their place in the semi-finals with a comfortable 2-0 victory over St. Francis De Sales Senior Secondary School in the Girls’ category. Meher Gupta scored once in each half, opening the scoring in the seventh minute before adding her second in the 27th minute, as Step by Step School produced a composed display to seal the win.

The day’s proceedings concluded with Bharti Public School defeating Mother’s International School 2-0 to complete the semi-final line-up in the Girls’ category. Nikita handed Bharti Public School an early advantage in the third minute before Araddhya Dhang doubled the lead in the 23rd minute. With a goal in each half, Bharti Public School wrapped up a convincing victory to progress to the last four.

The Oriental Cup 2026 continues on Tuesday with the Boys’ quarterfinals taking centre stage as the race for a place in the semi-finals intensifies. The fourth edition, being held from July 7 to July 16 at Dr. Ambedkar Stadium, is expected to feature over 1,500 student-athletes representing more than 45 teams from across Delhi-NCR. The tournament features a more-than-doubled prize pool and a ₹2.5 lakh scholarship programme for 10 deserving student-athletes.

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.

Results (Day 5):

Boys’ Category

Vasant Valley School 0(4)-0(3) Kendriya Vidyalaya, R.K. Puram

Girls’ Category

Vasant Valley School 1-0 Government Girls Senior Secondary School, NIT Faridabad

Modern School 6-0 Sapphire International School

Step by Step School, Noida 2-0 St. Francis De Sales Senior Secondary School

Bharti Public School 2-0 Mother’s International School

–IANS

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