Karnataka - Mangalore   

Go for goal at Independence Cup!

MANGALORE: A 15-day mega football tournament, being organised by the Dakshina Kannada Football Association, has attracted over 120 teams, including four all-girl teams.

In all, 1,500 students will vie for the prestigious Independence Cup, starting on Saturday.

On Thursday, one could see about 200 students practising at the football ground here. There will be six categories for the event: Inter-collegiate (42 teams will take part), PUC students (27 teams), High School (31 teams), Higher Primary School (14 teams), Girls’ High School (two teams) and Girls’ College (two teams).

As D-day approaches, the confidence of the participants seems to be increasing. When asked which team was likely to win the cup, one group of students shouted in unison, “Milagrace Higher Primary School.”

The college students, however, seemed more practical. A group of students from Srinivasa Group of Colleges were aware that St. Aloysius College was the favourite. However, when asked what their strategy was, one of the students, Rafayi, said, “We cannot reveal that now. You will see it on the field.”

That they are working hard was clear. “We have been practising in the hot sun,” said Febin of Srinivasa College of Management, even as he kept his eyes on the ball. “Football is the highest paid game,” he added.

That the boys are great fans of the living legends of the game is evident. Febin has many clips of Cristiano Ronaldo and tried to imitate him dribbling the ball. A. Kundan has a collection of pictures, jerseys and video clips of David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane.

Physical Education teacher of Milagrace College Balakrishna said that the cup had emerged as a prestigious event attracting sporting talents even from rural areas. However, the city needs more football grounds, he said.

Among those who came to see the training sessions was Bhaskar, a construction worker, who no longer likes cricket. “Whenever I am free, I come here and watch football,” he said.

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