DR. TALIMEREN AO JUNIOR GIRLS’ NATIONAL FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Staff Reporter
DIMAPUR, NOV 22 (NPN): The Dr. Talimeren Ao Junior Girls’ National Football Championship commenced on Saturday at the Chümoukedima Football Stadium, with hosts Nagaland going down 3–1 to Uttarakhand in their opening fixture despite making a promising start, while Punjab thrashed Andaman & Nicobar 20–0 in the tournament opener.
Nagaland began the match on a high note when captain Zemloi Konyak (Jersey No. 10) converted a free kick from just outside the penalty box in the 3rd minute, sending the home crowd into loud cheers. Uttarakhand responded quickly, earning a similar free kick but failing to capitalise. The visitors pressed forward again in the 10th minute, only to be denied by a timely block from a Nagaland defender.
Persistent attacks from Uttarakhand eventually paid off in the 16th minute when their captain Anishka (Jersey No. 10) broke through to level the score. Nagaland’s defence was then undone in the 24th minute by a long-range strike that caught the goalkeeper off her line. The visitors extended their lead in the 37th minute with a well-executed cross from the right flank, making it 3–1 at half-time.
The second half saw Uttarakhand continue their momentum, threatening early on, but Nagaland’s goalkeeper and defenders combined to avert further damage. Nagaland’s captain Zemloi nearly reduced the deficit with another free kick, but her effort rattled the crossbar. The hosts kept pressing, forcing the Uttarakhand keeper into action with several shots, including one punched away for a corner.
Nagaland mounted sustained pressure inside the penalty area, with multiple attempts blocked and deflected. Appeals for a handball were waved off by the referee, leaving the home side frustrated as they failed to find the breakthrough. Despite their spirited effort, Nagaland could not alter the scoreline and ended their opening match with a 1–3 defeat.
Earlier in the opening match, Punjab announced their arrival in emphatic fashion, thrashing Andaman & Nicobar 20–0 in the tournament opener. Punjab dominated possession from the first whistle, with the ball rarely leaving the opposition half.
Their breakthrough came in the 2nd minute through Joya (Jersey No. 11), followed by Manpreet (Jersey No. 13) before the 10-minute mark. By half-time, Punjab had raced to a 10–0 lead.
The second half continued in similar fashion as Punjab added 10 more goals. Joya and Gurkeen Kaur (Jersey No. 9) registered double hat-tricks, scoring six and seven goals respectively. Harmeen Kaur and Nisha netted two goals each, while Manpreet Kaur and Jaskaran added one apiece. An own goal from the Andaman & Nicobar captain in the 64th minute completed the tally.
November 23 Match (Group D)
Himachal Pradesh vs Madhya Pradesh 2:30 PM
Maharashtra vs Mizoram 6:30 PM