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West Bengal, Manipur Secure Quarterfinal Spots in U20 Men's Nationals

West Bengal and Manipur have qualified for the quarterfinals of the Swami Vivekananda U20 Men's National Football Championship. West Bengal drew 2-2 with Odisha to secure their spot from Group E, finishing top with four points. Manipur routed hosts Chhattisgarh 5-1, with Salam Swamichandra Meitei scoring a hat-trick, to top Group B with a perfect record. Nagaland also won their match but were already eliminated from knockout contention.

Key Points: U20 Men's Nationals: West Bengal, Manipur in Last Eight

  • West Bengal drew 2-2 with Odisha to reach quarterfinals
  • Manipur thrashed Chhattisgarh 5-1 to top Group B
  • Salam Swamichandra Meitei scored a hat-trick for Manipur
  • Odisha needed a win but only managed a draw
  • Nagaland beat Dadra & Nagar Haveli 8-1 in a dead rubber
2 min read

U20 Men's Football Nationals: West Bengal, Manipur enter last eight

West Bengal and Manipur advance to quarterfinals of Swami Vivekananda U20 Men's National Football Championship after draws and wins in Narainpur.

"West Bengal finished atop the three-team group with four points from two matches - Match Report"

Narainpur, May 6

West Bengal and Manipur secured themselves a spot each in the Swami Vivekananda U20 Men's National Football Championship after the former drew with Odisha, while the latter defeated hosts Chhattisgarh at the Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama in Narainpur, Chhattisgarh, on Wednesday.

Odisha drew with West Bengal 2-2, with Shankha Shekhar Hembram (28') and Barial Tudu (73') scoring for them, while Sahil Kar (60') and Tanbir Dey (65') struck for the latter.

Ground 2 at the RKM Ashrama experienced a see-saw battle between the two eastern neighbours, which finally ended in a 2-2 draw that confirmed West Bengal's progression to the quarter-finals from Group E.

Odisha needed a win to go through and began with intent, taking the lead in the 28th minute through Shankha Shekhar Hembram. West Bengal roared back in the second half, Sahil Kar and Tanbir Dey scoring one each around the hour mark. While Barial Tudu pulled one back in the 73rd for Odisha, the draw was all but secured Bengal's passage to the knock-out stage.

West Bengal finished atop the three-team group with four points from two matches, followed by Karnataka with three, while Odisha could only muster a single point.

Over in Group B, Manipur secured their quarter-final progression with a 5-1 rout of hosts Chhattisgarh on Ground 1 at the RKM Ashrama on Wednesday.

Salam Swamichandra Meitei netted a hat-trick, while Thounaojam Robertson Singh scored two for the north-eastern side, and Indrajit Roy converted a second-half penalty to score the only goal for Chhattisgarh.

Manipur finished Group B with a perfect record - three wins in as many matches. Chhattisgarh and Nagaland finish with four points apiece, while Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu lost all their games.

In the other match of the day, Nagaland defeated a 10-man Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu 8-1 on Ground 1 at the RKM Ashrama, though both teams' chances of progression to the knockouts were already over.

Results:

Odisha 2 (Shankha Shekhar Hembram 28', Barial Tudu 73') drew with West Bengal 2 (Sahil Kar 60', Tanbir Dey 65')

Chhattisgarh 1 (Indrajit Roy 51' p) lost to Manipur 5 (Thounaojam Rebertson Singh 21', 45+3', Salam Swamichandra Meitei 23', 82', 86')

DNH & DD 1 (Pushpitra Thakur 90+2') lost to Nagaland 8 (Piyush Govinda Kokate 36' og, Vinato Achumi 37', Nokwang Konyak 41', 45+1', Lunmingou Singsit 51', Viselle Vasa 62', 64')

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Good to see North Eastern states dominating football. Manipur's 5-1 win shows their immense potential. But Odisha gave a tough fight to Bengal - unlucky not to qualify. More investment needed in football infrastructure across India though.
J
James A
Impressive performances from the young lads. West Bengal vs Odisha was a proper derby! Manipur with 3 wins in group stage is no joke. Hopefully these boys go on to represent India in the future. Keep it up! 🇮🇳
S
Sneha F
Finally some good news for Indian football! So glad to see U20 level getting attention. Nagaland's 8-1 win is massive too - 10 men and still crushing it. I wish more people would watch these tournaments instead of just EPL. ⚽💪
K
Karthik V
Honestly, I'm disappointed that Karnataka couldn't make it through despite having points. But congrats to West Bengal and Manipur. However, we need to ask why only a few states produce football talent - where are teams from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu? Need better scouting and grassroots programs across the country.
A
Ananya R
So happy to see Manipur doing well! Salam Swamichandra Meitei hat-trick - what a name, what a player! But I wish the media would cover women's football too. Our girls are doing amazing things as well. Let's support all Indian football! 🙌

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