By OUR STAFF REPORTER
DEHRADUN, 30 Aug: The Maa Anandmayee Memorial School (MAMS) Invitational U 17 International Football Tournament began today with an Opening Ceremony at the school campus. The event began with an oath-taking ceremony conducted by the Head Boy of the school, Aditya, after the 7 participating teams gathered at the ground. To begin with, Rhea Thapa, a student of MAMS, thanked the sponsors of the tournament. Director Arpit Panjwani felicitated the guests with tokens of appreciation. The Chief Guest was Krishna Kumar, DSO (Tehri Garhwal), who has himself been a hockey player and coached players who have played at the international level. He said that the young players should feel motivated to play well because the government is promoting Olympic and National level players with handsome monetary rewards. He said that every sportsman should not just excel in sports but also study well because sportsmen are gifted with a sharp and agile mind that is capable of taking decisions in the split of a second just as they do on the field. The Guest of Honour Arun Kumar Malhotra, an ex-football player, who has represented India in the Afro-Asia Cup, Asia Cup, pre-Olympics and President’s Cup in the Maldives. Malhotra said that the young players should take these tournaments which are being organised for them very seriously. These were a great platform for them, which could help them get noticed. They could be picked up by professional clubs, academies and associations for the international circuits. Thereafter, the tournament was declared open. The Director of MAMS, Arpit Panjwani proposed the vote of thanks at the end. The Chief Guest and Guest of Honour went up to the players at the football ground to greet them and wish them luck. The first day of the tournament began with matches between MAMS and Doon International School on ground no.1, while Aster International School and Tibetan Home School clashed on ground no. 2. MAMS and Aster emerged as the winners. MAMS won, 8-0, while Aster won 2-0. The goals for MAMS were scored by Aakash- 3 goals, Aditya- 2 goals, Ayush – 2 goals, Prem Singh – 1 goal, while 1 goal was scored by Ansh.
