The Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Pratishthan continued their love affair with the Subrata Cup as both the U-17 boys and girls’ team clinched their respective titles in India early last month in arguably one of the biggest age-level football tournaments in the world.
A total of 95 teams, including eight from three overseas countries – Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, and 1,500 players took part in the tournament but BKSP had the last laugh in both the U-17 boys and girls’ categories.
In the process, the BKSP U-17 girls sealed their second Subrata Cup title in as many years after a laudable quarter-final berth in their maiden appearance in 2016, the same year the institution formed the girls’ football team.
The girls representing Bangladesh had a memorable journey, as they maintained an unbeaten campaign right throughout the tournament.
They edged India’s Saint Joseph International School 1-0 in a hard-fought final at Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi.
Ratna netted the all-important goal in the grand finale, and was later adjudged player of the tournament after scoring five goals.
Joya Chakma, the head coach of the BKSP U-17 girls’ team, was named the best coach for the second time in succession.
Joya later informed that 15 booters out of the total of 16 players in the Subrata Cup squad are aged below 15 while currently, eight BKSP footballers are part of the Bangladesh women’s team camp at BFF.
Among those eight, six were part of the title-winning side.
As many as 32 girls’ teams from different states of India participated in the competition.
For the U-17 boys, this was their maiden Subrata Cup title, although the BKSP U-14 boys did win their respective category two years ago, against Chandigarh’s Government Model High School.
The BKSP U-17 boys held their nerve in a tense final against Afghanistan’s Amini School where the former prevailed 1-0 in the 59th edition of the Subrata Cup.
Habibur Rahman bagged the solitary goal in the 11th minute at the same venue.
Did You Know?
BKSP girls’ football team were established in 2016, and since then, they have finished as the quarter-finalist and champion in these three years at the Subrata Cup.