New Delhi, Sep 8 (IANS) The Sub-Junior Boys (U-15) category of the 64th Subroto Cup International Football Tournament entered the knockout stage on Monday, with thrilling quarter-final encounters showcasing the skills and rising talent of young footballers across India.

Minerva Public School (CISCE) stormed into the semifinals with a commanding 10-0 win over SFS Higher Secondary School (Nagaland). Lhungdem (4’, 30’), Rimoson (25’), Akash (25’, 27’), Laishram (19’), Hidam (14’, 33’, 35’), and Gurtejveer (38’) all found the back of the net in a one-sided contest that underlined Minerva’s dominance.

In one of the most gripping clashes of the day, St. John High School (Jharkhand) edged past Manikpara Viveknanda Vidyapith (West Bengal), 3-2, to book their semifinal berth. Charan (2’) and Abhijit (36’) scored for West Bengal, but Jharkhand bounced back strongly through goals from Suraj (7’), Asish (30’), and Ishant (47’), sealing a dramatic victory.

Vidyachal International School (Bihar) secured a hard-fought 2-1 win over Mothers Pride Public School (Himachal Pradesh). Sukhpreet (23’) gave Himachal the lead, but Bihar’s Shubham turned the match on its head with a brilliant brace (25+2’, 63’) to guide his team into the semifinals.

In the last quarterfinal, Riverside Natural School (Madhya Pradesh) secured a 2-0 victory over Anand Niketen School (Gujarat). Lokesh was the Hero of the Match, scoring twice, once in the 7th minute and again in stoppage time (50+4’) to seal Madhya Pradesh’s place in the semifinals.

The quarterfinals brought out the best of young football, with fast-paced play, smart teamwork, and flashes of individual brilliance lighting up the field. From sharp finishing to resilient defending, the matches showed how these budding players are quickly adapting to the demands of competitive football on the global stage.

–IANS

ab/bsk/