Pondicherry wins Futsal National Championship 2019 in their maiden appearance

by Chittu Shetty March 3, 2019

In an intense final encounter, Pondicherry overcame Tamil Nadu to lift the Futsal National Championships 2019 in their maiden appearance.

Playing in their first ever Futsal National Championship, Pondicherry performed exceptionally to go all the way through to the final and lift the trophy.

Pondicherry began their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Telengana before edging Sikkim 1-0 in their first two group game. In their final group fixture, Pondicherry defeated Chandigarh Futsal team 2-0 to qualify for the quarter-final. Pondicherry then went on to defeat Delhi 3-1 to reach last 4. In the semi-finals, Pondicherry thrashed Maharashtra 6-0 to setup a final clash with neighbours Tamil Nadu.

In the final, Pondicherry started off well to take 2-1 lead at half-time. However, Tamil Nadu fought back in the 2^nd half to end the game 4-4, stretching the match into Penalty shootout. In the shootout, Pondicherry held their nerves well to beat Tamil Nadu 3-2 and lift their maiden trophy.

Goalkeeper of the Pondicherry Futsal Team, Vinoth proved to be a vital cog for his side during this Championship especially in the final penalty shootout. The 21 year old was awarded the tournaments best Goalkeeper award for his exceptional performance.

Road to Championship Title:

GROUP STAGE:

Pondicherry 1-1 Telanga

Pondicherry 1-0 Sikkim

Pondicherry 2-0 Chandigarh

QUARTER FINALS: Pondicherry 3-1 Delhi

SEMI FINALS: Pondicherry 6-0 Maharashtra

FINAL: Pondicherry 4-4 (3-2 PEN) Tamil Nadu