U18 I-league resumes today in Kolkata

by Siddharth Yadav January 27, 2016

U-18 I-League final phase is going to resume on 27^th of this month in Kolkata with ten teams who have qualified to the National Finals after intense zonal rounds. These ten teams are divided into two groups, two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals and the subsequent winners will clash in the final, which will decide the eventual winner of U-18 I-League 2015-16.

Tata Football Academy (Champions: Kolkata-Jamshedpur zone); AIFF Elite Academy (Champions: Goa zone); Sports Authority of India- Guwahati (Runners Up: Shillong-Guwahati zone); DSK Shivajians FC (Runners Up: Maharashtra zone) and Lonestar Kashmir FC (Qualifiers: Rest of India I) comprise group A, who will contest at Howrah Stadium.

Pune Football Club (Champions: Maharashtra zone); Royal Wahingdoh (Champions: Shillong-Guwahati zone); East Bengal (Runners Up: Kolkata-Jamshedpur zone); Salgaocar FC (Runners Up: Goa zone) and Aizawl FC (Qualifiers: Rest of India II) will contest in group B. The matches will be played at East Bengal ground.

The matches are slated to kick off at 10:45 AM and 14:15 PM on alternate days. After the group phase, both the semi-finals will take place on 7^th January. The losers will clash their horns on 9^th February to decide the third and fourth spot and the grand finale will be contested on 10^th February 2016.

Sunando Dhar, CEO, I-League is very much optimistic ahead of the U-18 I-League final round, “U-18 I-League is the pathway towards the next step of Indian Football. The purpose of the U-18 I-League is nothing but to bolster the senior teams and our national team.” He doesn’t forget to mention Lallianzuala’s name who hogged the limelight in the recently concluded SAFF Championship, “When more players, akin to Lallianzuala, will come to the forefront and make into the national team, the purpose of U-18 I-League will be served. Certainly we’re on the right path towards a better future and we have to continue the process till the goal is attained.”