Uttar Pradesh tops Group C in Swami Vivekananda Men's U20 National Football Championship

ANI May 14, 2025 276 views

Uttar Pradesh surged to the top of Group C after a thrilling 4-2 win against Ladakh, thanks to Pravesh Kumar’s hat-trick. Punjab secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Manipur with Harmandeep Singh’s early goal. Manipur pressed hard but failed to equalize, leaving Punjab tied with Sikkim on points. The tournament continues to showcase emerging football talent in India.

"Pravesh Kumar's hat-trick powers Uttar Pradesh to a 4-2 victory over Ladakh." – AIFF Official Report
Narainpur, May 14: Punjab and Uttar Pradesh emerged victorious in their respective matches against Manipur and Ladakh, in the Group C matches of the Swami Vivekananda Men's U20 National Football Championship at the Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama Ground, on Tuesday, as per the official website of AIFF.

Key Points

1

Uttar Pradesh climbs Group C with six points

2

Pravesh Kumar nets hat-trick in 4-2 win

3

Punjab edges Manipur 1-0 via Harmandeep Singh

4

Ladakh's Akash Tirkey and Imran Ali score in defeat

While Punjab defeated Manipur 1-0, Uttar Pradesh were victorious against Ladakh by a 4-2 margin.

An early goal gave Punjab the victory against Manipur, in the first match of the day, by a 1-0 margin.

Punjab captain Harmandeep Singh broke through down the left, entered the box with pace, and dinked the ball over a sliding goalkeeper to put his side in the lead in the 12th minute. Manipur piled the pressure on Punjab in the later stages of the game, but the latter held on to the victory and three points.

Punjab remain third in Group C with three points from two matches. They are tied on the same number of points with Sikkim, but the latter have played one game less.

In the second match of the day, Uttar Pradesh won a high-scoring game against Ladakh, defeating the union territory 4-2. Uttar Pradesh led 2-1 at half-time.

Pravesh Kumar scored (8', 44', 56') a hat-trick for Uttar Pradesh, while Mohsin Khan (48') added the fourth. Akash Tirkey (40') and Imran Ali (86') were the two scorers for Ladakh. Uttar Pradesh, with this win, climb to the top of Group C, having garnered six points from their two matches so far.

Reader Comments

R
Rahul K.
UP boys showing their class! Pravesh Kumar's hat-trick was pure fire 🔥. Great to see talent emerging from smaller towns. Hope AIFF gives these players proper exposure at higher levels too.
P
Priya M.
Ladakh played really well despite being new to competitive football. Scoring 2 goals against UP is no small achievement. More tournaments needed in Himalayan regions to nurture talent!
A
Amit S.
Why is there so little coverage of these tournaments? Our U20 players deserve more attention than foreign leagues getting prime time. Star Sports should broadcast at least highlights.
N
Neha T.
Manipur is usually so strong in football, surprised by their loss to Punjab. But Harmandeep's goal was class! Hope they bounce back in next matches. Northeast states need more sporting infrastructure.
V
Vikram J.
Good to see football growing beyond traditional hubs. But AIFF needs to improve grassroots coaching - too much kick-and-run play visible. Technical skills need work at this level.
S
Sanya R.
Wonderful tournament name honoring Swami Vivekananda ji! Sports and spirituality both important for youth development. UP leading the group makes me proud as someone from Lucknow 😊

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U20 National Football Championship Uttar Pradesh football Pravesh Kumar Punjab vs Manipur AIFF