Sportswalkers (2025)

03/09/2023

David Lalhlansanga of Md Sporting wins Golden Boot award

SportsWalkers Bureau
Kolkata: Following the much-awaited final match of the 132nd IndianOil Durand Cup at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK), here in the city, which had close to 50,000 fans watching, a glittering prize distribution ceremony hogged the limelight on Sunday.
Dr. CV Ananda Bose, Governor of West Bengal awarded the President’s Cup to the winners, while Gen. Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff, awarded the Simla Trophy.
The Durand Cup, the original prize was handed over by Aroop Biswas, Minister in Charge of Sports and Youth Affairs, Power and Housing, Government of West Bengal.
Among the other prize winners of the day were:
Golden Boot (Highest scorer)- David Lalhlansanga-six goals (Mohammedan Sporting)
Golden Gloves- Prabhsukan Gill (Emami East Bengal)
Golden Ball (Player of the Tournament)- Nandhakumar Sekar (Emami East Bengal)
Also, here are details of the prize money given out:
Winners: Rs 60lakh
Runner-up: Rs 30lakh
Golden Ball: Rs 4lakh
Golden Boot: Rs 3lakh
Golden Gloves: Rs 3lakh

03/09/2023

10-man Mohun Bagan too heavy for East Bengal, lift Durand trophy

SportsWalkers Bureau
Kolkata: A 10-man Mohun Bagan Super Giant (MBSG), reversed their group-stage result over arch city-rivals Emami East Bengal (EEB), defeating them 1-0 in the final of the 132nd IndianOil Durand Cup, to be crowned champions here on Sunday.
Dimitri Petratos struck the winner in the 71st minute, after Anirudh Thapa was sent off for a second bookable offence, early in the second-half. There was nothing much to choose between the two sides save the Petratos strike, in an entertaining final at the hallowed Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK), here in the city, which had close to 50,000 fans watching.
Both gaffers sprung surprises with the first eleven. Carles Cuadrat of EEB gave Md. Rakip a first-start in the tournament, while Juan Ferrando of MBSG kept Manvir, who has had a good campaign, on the bench, while starting with both his foreign forwards Dimitri Petratos and Armando Sadiku, upfront.
It was clear that Cuadrat wanted the extra help on the wings with Mandar Rao Desai on the left and Harmanjot Khabra on the right playing ahead of three central defenders, whereas Ferrando adopted a more regular 4-4-2, preferring his wing-backs Ashique Kuruniyan and Ashish Rai to do that job. The bigger surprise came from EEB after the whistle however, when both Nandhakumar and. Mahesh began on the left, albeit for the initial few minutes only.
Ashique won the game’s first corner for MBSG withing the first five minutes, however not much came off it. A similar fate awaited EEB when they got theirs a few minutes later. There was nothing to choose between the two in the first quarter of an hour. Left was the preferred attacking flank for both teams, with Ashique of MBSG and Mahesh of EEB being the prime movers of such attacks.
Then just after the water-break, Jordan Elsey seemed to have twisted his ankle and Cuadrat had to replace him with Jose Antonio Pardo at the back.
With just a couple of minutes to go, the half’s two best chances fell to both teams. First when a cross by Borja meant for Siverio’s head fell for Nandhakumar, but the winger failed to keep his shot on target. Then Dimitri Petratos unleashed a brilliant strike from the top of the EEB box, but also just missed his target.
The half ended equal, not only in terms of no team scoring a goal, but also in terms of both getting an equal number of bookings, with Saul Crespo and Borja for the red and golds and Hugo Boumos and Thapa for the green and maroons going into the referee’s book in the final stages.
Cuadrat made his second change in the 57th minute of the game, when he brought on the experience and guile of Brazilian Cleiton Silva in place of Borja. Ferrando responded with Manvir Singh in place of Ashish Rai.
The Punjabi winger created an immediate chance on the hour-mark for Boumous, but the Frenchman shot wide from close.
Another critical moment of the match then happened when Anirudh Thapa was sent-off for a high boot on Saul Crespo, his second bookable offence of the match.
In the 69th minute, Ferrando made a triple change, bringing on Australian World Cupper Jason Cummings, Liston Colaco and Glan Martins in place of Boumous, Sadiku and Ashique.
It brought them luck in 71st minute and how. Dimitri Petratos, MBSG’s Greek forward, received the box in transition, just inside the EEB half and kept advancing towards goal without much challenge from the right-hand side. He then unleashed a left-footed diagonal along the ground from just outside the box. It was perfectly placed as the ball took a bad bounce to elude the outstretched palm of Prabhsukan Gill and go in. The deadlock was broken and the MBSG fans went into a frenzy, as Petratos rushed towards a section of them to celebrate.
In the 78th minute, Cuadrat effected a triple-change himself, bringing on Nishu Kumar, VP Suhair and Edwin Vanspaul, in place of Chungnunga, Siverio and Rakip. Then in the 87th, Ferrando made his final move, consolidating his defense by bringing on Brendan Hamill in place of Sahal Abdul Samad.
Try as they might, the red and golds could not break the MBSG defence and MBSG were crowned worthy champions. They had suffered just one reverse in the tournament, whom they beat in the final and had beaten such top teams as Mumbai City FC and FC Goa enroute.

30/08/2023

East Bengal defeat NorthEast United in penalty shootout, enter Durand final

SportsWalkers Bureau

Kolkata: Emami East Bengal (EEB) reached the 132nd IndianOil Durand Cup final, defeating NorthEast United FC (NEUFC) 5-3 on penalties in the first semi-final, after the match ended 2-2 at the end of 90 minutes of regulation time here on Tuesday night.
After stunning the home-side at Kolkata’s Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) with two strikes on either side of each half, the red and golds struck late in the game and then again in added time to take the game to penalties. There, Parthib Gogoi missed his penalty, despite getting two bites of the cherry, as EEB scored all five to make yet another Cup final.
The 16-time winners now await the winners of the second semi-final between Mohun Bagan Super Giant and FC Goa on Thursday (August 31, 2023), to know who meets them in the final.

The red and golds’ Carles Cuadrat began with Jordan Elsey, Mandar Rao Desai, Chungnunga and Harmanjot Khabra manning the defense and Jose Pardo and Nishu Kumar playing in the hole between defence and midfield. He made two key changes to his quarter-final 11, including Jose Pardo and Mandar in place of Borja and Souvik Chakrabarti, which he would have to reverse later as things got hot in the second-half.

Cuadrat’s Spanish countryman Juan Benali on the other hand made as many as five changes to the 11 which began against the Indian Army team in the quarters. Moroccan Mohammed Bemammar and Spaniard Nestor Roger were brought in to strengthen the midfield and forward line, while the experience of Asheer Akhtar was preferred in a big game to assist the trio of Dinesh, Tondomba and Miguel at the back. Parthib Gogoi, who has been in good goal scoring form was also expectedly given a start after a rest in the last game.

The home-side fired the first bullet at the quarter-hour mark, when a Pardo attempted from distance, but Mirshad, the Highlanders keeper was up to it and brought about a full-length diving save.

28/08/2023

Unified Karate Guild shine in Guwahati Karate Championship

SportsWalkers Bureau
Guwahati: The 3rd Guwahati Karate Championship- was held on August 26 and 27, 2023 at the Nabin Chandra Bordoloi Indoor Stadium, Sarusajai Sports Complex, Guwahati.
Unified Karate Guild won the 1st position with 30 gold, 18 silver and 26 bronze medals in the competition organized by the Karate Association of Guwahati.
On the other hand, Assam Sports Karate Academy bagged the second position with 19 gold, 25 silver and 30 bronze medals.
Panjabari Karate Academy bagged the third position with 15 gold, 13 silver and 26 bronze medals. Around 1200 players from 49 clubs participated in the competition held in sub junior, cadet, junior, under-21 and senior categories.

28/08/2023

Assam minister for Sports Nandita Garlosa hands over a cheque to ace State footballer Alen Deori on Monday. Deori will undergo a knee operation very soon. He has already played for various I-league and ISL clubs like Shillong Lajongs, North East United FC and Mumbai City FC. He also represented India in every age group---U13, U16 , U19 or U23.

28/08/2023

Digaru Viranganas lift ACA Women’s T-20 Challengers Trophy

SportsWalkers Bureau
Guwahati: Digaru Viranganas emerged victorious in the 3rd ACA Women’s T-20 Challengers Trophy, defeating Kapili Princess by a slender margin of three runs in a nail-biting final at the Amingaon Cricket Ground in North Guwahati on Monday.
The tournament was organised by the Assam Cricket Association (ACA).
Kapili Princess won the toss and elected to field, setting the stage for a gripping contest.
In a shortened 13-over match, Digaru Viranganas posted a total of 65/6, anchored by Priyanka Baruah and Mushkan Mollik, who both contributed 14 runs each. Anamika Bori was the standout bowler for Kapili Princess, claiming 2 wickets for 16 runs, while Sayanika Deka chipped in with 1 wicket for 8 runs.
Chasing a target of 66 runs for victory, Kapili Princess fought valiantly but fell short at 62/8 in their allotted 13 overs. Manikha Das was the top scorer with 33 runs for Kapili Princess, while Anamika Bori added 9 runs. Shanti Rai from Digaru Viranganas emerged as the hero, claiming 3 wickets for just 8 runs, while Kakoli Saikia provided valuable support with 2 wickets for 4 runs.
Brief score:
Digaru Viranganas 65/6 in 13 overs (Priyanka Baruah 14, Mushkan Mollik 14; Anamika Bori 2/16, Sayanika Deka 1/8).
Kapili Princess 62/8 in 13 overs (Manikha Das 33, Anamika Bori 9; Shanti Rai 3/8, Kakoli Saikia 2/4).

The award ceremony was attended by ACA president Taranga Gogoi, ACA vice president Rajdeep Ojha, ACA secretary Tridib Konwar, ACA treasurer Chiranjit Langthasa, Apex Council member Minu Begum, former ACA VP Poriksh*t Dutta, ACA CEO Pritam Mahanta and Women’s Selection Committee’s chairperson Nazneen Ahmed among others.
Individual awards:
Player of the Final: Shanti Rai (Digaru Viranganas)
Player of the Tournament: Monika Das (Kapili Princess)
Best Fielder of the Tournament: Ruhina Pegu (Dhansiri Dashers)
Best Bowler of the Tournament: Mousumi Narah (Dikhou Tigress)
Best Batter of the Tournament: Gayatri Gurung (Dikhou Tigress)

28/08/2023

NorthEast United face East Bengal in high voltage Durand Semis tomorrow

SportsWalkers Bureau
Kolkata: Stage is now deep-inside the business end of the 132nd IndianOil Durand Cup and the first semi-final between a red-hot home side, the Red & Golds of Emami East Bengal (EEB) and a plucky NorthEast United FC (NEUFC) side, probably playing the biggest game of their nine-year existence, beckons, at the revered Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) turf on Tuesday, August 29, 2023. The game kicks-off at 6.00pm Indian Standard Time (IST).
The Highlanders are playing their best tournament football in a long while with an attractive side which is a mix of youth and experience. The team has gelled very well under new Spanish coach Juan Pedro Benali and if they travel and settle well coming down from Guwahati, they will surely give the home-side a run for their money.
Coach Benali was aware of the enormity of the occasion stating in pre-game comments, “This semi-final isn't just another match. We're playing in Kolkata against the home team, in front of their fans. And East Bengal are a team with quality players in all positions and on the bench too. We're here to represent our region and fight for our people. Our fans believe in us and we want to make them proud. Together, as one, we'll give it our all and make history.”
The Highlanders do lead the head to head against the century old club but to beat the resurgent 16-time Durand champions in their den in front of their home fans, they will certainly need to create history.
And it is not as if EEB have played infallible tournament in the IndianOil Durand Cup this year. NEUFC fans will take heart from the fact that EEB while scoring six have conceded three at the back, while they themselves have scored 10, while letting in the same number.
But EEB seem to be getting the job done when it matters most as was evident in their clinical victory over former champions Gokulam in the quarter-finals. And their Spanish coach Carles Cuadrat has not put a foot wrong since coming on this season.
As pragmatic and respectful of opponents as ever, Cuadrat said in his comments

27/08/2023

FC Goa into Durand Cup semis

SportsWalkers Bureau

Guwahati, August 26: FC Goa (FCG), the 2021 champions, marched into the 132nd IndianOil Durand Cup semi-finals, defeating Chennaiyin FC (CFC) 4-1 in the third quarter-final here at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium on Saturday.
Three of their foreign signings scored as Carl Mchugh scored one and assisted one, Noah Sadoui scored his fifth of the tournament, Carlos Martinez his third, with Victor Rodriguez scoring the final goal of the game. Bikash Yumnam had opened the scoring for Chennaiyin.

Alexander “Sandy” Stewart was in charge of the Marina Machans on the day and he made as many as six changes to the side which played their final group game against Delhi FC. Among those who started were Rahim Ali and Italian midfielder Christian Battocchio. Sarthak Goloui also made his debut for CFC. The Gaurs, with Gauramangi Singh at the helm went one better with seven, bringing Dheeraj back in goal and Brandon back in midfield, while keeping among others, Rowlin Borges on the bench. Also starting for Goa, was new signing Carl Mchugh.

The Marina Machans got an early goal, when off an Akash Sangwan corner, floated high towards the far post, central defender Bikash Yumnam headed in powerfully. Commentators felt that Goa defender Seriton Fernandes, marking Bikash, could have shown more strength in the act.

Stung by the goal the Gaurs responded with vigor and Carlos Martinez almost equalized but hit the bar with a header. Then Udanta misfired from close range.

They had to wait till the half hour mark to finally get on level terms. Udanta and Brandon played a give and go on the right flank after which the former floated a cross which was headed back in front of the six-yard box by Noah from the far post. Mchugh was at hand to place it past Chennaiyin keeper Samik, for his first goal in his very first game for his new club.

Noah almost put the Guars ahead a couple of minutes later, again getting behind an Udanta cross on the far post, but this time with only Samik to beat, misdirected his header.

The comeback was complete with a gem from yet another new signing, Spaniard Carlos Martinez Rodriguez. Udanta, who was peppering that right side, sent another menacing ball in which was cleared by Sarthak. But it only reached Sangwan nearby, who failed to control it and it fell for Carlos. The experienced Spanish striker, took a touch with his back to goal, then turned Sangwan in and with a sight at goal and the keeper in front, executed an audacious chip over the keeper. It will surely be one of the contenders for the goal of the tournament.

Stewart replaced Sachu Siby, who found Noah Sadoui too hot to handle, with Ajith at the break, realizing the constant threat being caused by the American. Italian Battocchio was also replaced by Jiteshwor Singh in the midfield.

Chennaiyin did begin the more enterprising in the second-half. Saviour Gama was booked for trying to stop one of those dangerous CFC forays by Jordan Murray just before the hour mark.

Stewart then brought on Vincy Barreto in place of Rahim Ali in search of the equalizer. The Gaurs also opted for a double change with Rowlin and Jay Gupta coming on in place of Saviour Gama and Raynier Fernandez. Bikash Yumnam then picked up an injury and Romario Jesuraj came on in his stead for the Marina Machans.

Chennaiyin’s pressure continued as Dheeraj brought up a brilliant save to deny Murray in the 72nd minute. Stewart made his final move bringing in Irfan Yadwad for Farukh Chowdhary. The Gaurs responded by bringing on Boris and Victor Rodriguez in place of Udanta and Carlos Martinez in the 78th minute, in a clear signal that they were taking no chances.

An Ayush Sangwan free-kick on target was yet again warded off by Dheeraj. The Gaurs then made their final substitution, taking off Seriton and bringing in Leander D’Cunha.

The nail was finally driven into the CFC coffin, when Carl Mchugh turned provider in the first minute of added time, finding Noah’s run inside the box, who brought it down beautifully to nail it past Samik with a shot on the turn. The CFC custodian was then beaten for a fourth time, when Boris laid it on to Victor’s path a couple of minutes later. The substitute took a brilliant first touch to leave his marker behind and blasted a left-footer into the left top corner of the Chennaiyin net.

It was a job well done for the Gaurs and an evening to forget for the Marina Machans.

Tomorrow’s match

Mumbai City FC take on Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the fourth and final quarter-final game at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) in Kolkata. Kick-off is at 6.00pm Indian Standard Time (IST).

22/08/2023

Champions Bengaluru FC end campaign with win

SportsWalkers Bureau

Kolkata: Champions Bengaluru FC (BFC) made their exit from the 132nd IndianOil Durand Cup, with a fluent 2-0 win over Gokulam Kerala FC FC (GKFC), as the group stages of the tournament concluded here at Kolkata’s Kishore Bharati Krirangan on Tuesday. Gokulam had already qualified for the quarter-finals topping Group C with six points, after having won both their opening matches. Bengaluru finished second in the group with five points.
Bengaluru coach Bibiano rested Ashish Jha and played Satyendra Yadav upfront while also giving Sahil an opportunity to man the Bengaluru goal in place of Amrit Gope, who played the first two games. Gokulam’s Domingo Oramas on the other hand, with a big quarter-final coming up, just retained three from their previous Blasters game and rested his key players like Sreekuttan, Nili Perdomo and Alex Sanchez, although he was forced to play them later in the game.
A period of pressure by BFC in the middle of the half saw them force a few corners one after the other and Gokulam in the end tried to sneak a lead but overall, it was a barren goalless first 45 minutes.
After the break, Gokulam took the initiative and a ball from the left-flank from Calvin found the head of Shijin, whose header just missed the target.
The deadlock required inspiration to be broken and Robin Yadav provided that in the 57th minute, getting his free-kick right, for the first time in this tournament. It was a world-class goal.
Then just before regulation time, two substitutes combined as Monirul Molla drove in getting the better of Bouba Aminou and slid it across for Lalpekhlua, who made no mistake with the finish.
It was a pleasing display by a largely young Bengaluru FC side.

22/08/2023

Spain born Palestinian defender Hamed joins NorthEast United

SportsWalkers Bureau
Guwahati: NorthEast United FC have completed their quota of foreign roster for the 2023-24 season with the acquisition of Yaser Hamed.
The Palestinian defender’s arrival sees the club successfully complete the addition of a player from an Asian Football Confederation (AFC) member.
Born in Spain to a Palestinian father and a Basque mother, Hamed is a product of the renowned Athletic Bilbao academy, where he honed his skills from the age of 10. His journey through the ranks of Spanish football has seen him represent various Basque sides, including CD Santurtzi, SD Leioa, and Club Portugalete.
The 25-year-old moved out of Spain in January last year and went on to play for Al Masry SC in Egypt and Al-Rayyan in Qatar.
Earlier this year, he featured for Al Qadsia SC in Kuwait, winning the Kuwait Federation Cup.
On the international front, Hamed has established himself as a regular with the Palestine national team since making his debut in 2019. He ensured the Lions of Canaan maintained a 100% winning record along with three clean sheets in the qualification stage to secure a berth in the AFC Asian Cup 2023.
Sharing his reason for joining the Highlanders, Hamed said, “I'm thrilled to join NorthEast United FC because of their persistent interest in me. This club and its project, led by Juan Pedro Benali, are the perfect fit for my aspirations in football. I the ."
Head Coach Benali expressed his enthusiasm about Hamed's signing, saying, “He is a good defender with the unique ability to play comfortably with both feet. Despite his young age, he brings a wealth of experience to the team. We believe he will make significant contributions and help bolster our squad. Yaser has a bright present and an even brighter future.”
NorthEast United FC CEO Mandar Tamhane added, “We are delighted to welcome Yaser Hamed to the NorthEast United FC family. His versatility, combined with his international experience, makes him a valuable asset to our team. We look forward to seeing Yaser’s contributions on the field as we aim for a successful season.”

22/08/2023

Aaren hat-trick helps Hyderabad sign off with facile win over Tribhuvan Army
SportsWalkers Bureau
Guwahati: Hyderabad FC (HFC) defeated Nepal’s Tribhuvan Army FC (TAFC) 3-0, courtesy an Aaren D Silva hat-trick, in the final Group E game at Guwahati’s Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, to end their 132nd IndianOil Durand Cup campaign with a win on Tuesday.
The Nizams will finish second in the group behind Chennaiyin FC, who topped with a 100% record and nine points. TAFC finished fourth behind third-placed Delhi FC, with one point from the draw against Delhi.
HFC gaffer Thangboi Singto made four changes to his 11 that started the last Chennaiyin game including bringing in Gurmeet under the bar in place of Anuj Kumar. TAFC coach Megh Raj made two in contrast.
The first goal for the Nizams came in the 16th minute. The cross came in from Ramhlunchhunga from the left flank. Aaren had to get ahead of the marker and directed his header away from keeper Bikesh Kuthu.
The second came eight minutes later when Md. Yasir found Aaren’s sun inside the box with a delectable ball that sliced through the TAFC defense and the latter returned the compliment with a chip over the keeper.
Sensing trouble, Megh Raj made a double change at the 30-minute mark, bringing in Santosh and Ashish in place of Sehseheng and Tanka Bahadur. That did off an enterprising shot by Phatteman Ghale, but his left-footed volley just eluded the reach of Gurmeet and missed the target as well.
That was perhaps TAFC’s best attempt of the game as Aaren duly completed his hat-trick in the second half.
He could have done it a minute earlier than he finally did, missing a free-header. However in the 69th, Yasir put Aaren on inside the box again and the tall and sturdy forward turned his marker on the inside and then placed it calmly with his left for a well-deserved hat-trick.
It was the fifth hat-trick of the tournament and the fourth by an Indian.

22/08/2023

ACA Men’s T20 Challengers Trophy from Aug 30

SportsWalkers Bureau
Guwahati: Assam Cricket Association (ACA) Men’s T20 Challengers Trophy is scheduled to begin on August 30, 2023, at the Amingaon Cricket Ground, Guwahati.
Organized by the Assam Cricket Association, this tournament promises to highlight remarkable talent in men's cricket, offering captivating matches for avid cricket enthusiasts.
The participating teams in this edition of the tournament are Barak Bravehearts, Manas Tigers, Brahmaputra Boys, Subansiri Champs, Kaziranga Heroes and Dihing-Patkai Riders.
Two matches will take place every day – at 9.30 am and 1.30 pm.
The grand finale of the tournament is scheduled for September 15, where the two best-performing teams will face off to claim the championship crown.
The ACA Men’s T20 Challengers promises to offer a stage for emerging male cricket stars to exhibit their prowess and also provides an opportunity to etch their names in the cricketing realm.

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