Malda to host Sub-Junior Girls’ National Football Championship

Malda: In a first, District Sports Association (DSA), Malda, is going to host the Sub-Junior Girls’ National Football Championship 2024-25 from September 2, Monday. Organised by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) in association with Malda District Sports Association (DSA) and hosted by the Indian Football Association (IFA), the tournament promises to showcase emerging football talent from across the country.

In 2023, some matches of the Sub-Junior Boys’ National Football Championship were held at the Malda DSA ground.

The championships will feature intense group-stage action with two groups: Group B and Group D. In Group B, teams from Meghalaya, Gujarat, Karnataka and Bihar will battle it out. The opening match will see Meghalaya facing Bihar at 9 am on September 2 followed by Gujarat clashing with Karnataka at 3 pm. In Group D, Jharkhand, Punjab and Maharashtra will compete. The group stage kicks off with Maharashtra taking on Jharkhand on September 3, followed by Punjab vs Maharashtra on September 5 and Jharkhand vs Punjab on September 7. The tournament will culminate in Malda with the semi-finals on September 9 where the top teams from each group will face off. The winner of Group B will meet the winner of Group D at 2:30 pm in what promises to be a thrilling encounter. The finals will be played in Baharampur, Murshidabad.

Krishnendu Narayan Choudhury, general secretary of DSA, during a press meet at the Press Corner Malda said: “The tournament is expected to be a showcase of young talent and competitive football. The championship aims to not only identify promising players but also to further the development of women’s football in India. Organising such national level tournaments in districts will also boost up the

budding talents.”