Subroto Cup To Kick Off On August 19 With 106 Teams Across Three Categories

The 64th Subroto Cup football tournament kicks off on 19 August, bringing together 106 teams, including four international sides. This prestigious school competition features Junior Boys (U-17), Junior Girls (U-17), and Sub-Junior Boys (U-15) categories. Matches will take place across venues in Delhi NCR and Bengaluru, with the tournament concluding on 25 September.

The Subroto Mukerjee Sports Education Society (SMSES), under the aegis of the Air Force Sports Control Board, organises the event to nurture young football talent.

International Participation

Air Marshal S Sivakumar stated that teams from Sri Lanka and Nepal would participate. He told reporters this participation “speaks volumes about the tournament's global reach and rising stature”.

Air Marshal Sivakumar added, “As we continue to pursue our ultimate goal of nurturing young talent, this tournament provides an ideal platform for school children to showcase their talent, gain exposure and prepare for progression into senior-level football.”

The tournament also features the “Indian Tigers and Tigresses” talent identification campaign. Through this initiative, seven promising players will gain selection for advanced training in Germany.

Tournament Legacy

Indian women's footballer Dalima Chhibber attended the event as Guest of Honour. She reflected, “This is where my journey started in 2011 and I am privileged to be a part of this and sitting here life has come a full circle for me.”

Chhibber expressed optimism for Indian football, stating, “We are heading towards a golden future. Recently, our U20 team also qualified for the Asian Cup. It is a sport that every country plays, we are taking steps in the right direction and it is a matter of time that we achieve success.”

Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee conceptualised the tournament in 1960 to promote grassroots football in India. Over the decades, it has become one of the country's most sought-after inter-school football events.

Tournament Schedule and Key Venues

The tournament begins with the Junior Girls (U-17) category, which will play in Delhi NCR from 19 August. The Sub-Junior Boys (U-15) category follows, with matches in Bengaluru starting 2 September. The final phase, featuring the Junior Boys (U-17) category, will commence in Delhi NCR from 16 September. Delhi NCR venues include Ambedkar Stadium, Tejas Football Ground, Subroto Park Football Ground, and Pinto Park Football Ground. In Bengaluru, matches will take place at Air Force School Jalahalli, Air Force School Yelahanka, and the HQ Training Command Football Ground. The 64th Subroto Cup will conclude on 25 September.

Team Representation and Fair Play Measures

The 106 participating teams represent various states, union territories, and educational bodies across India, in addition to the four international sides. Organisers have scheduled more than 200 matches across all three categories. To ensure fair play and transparency, officials will conduct an age-determination test for the Sub-Junior Boys category in Bengaluru.

Air Marshal S Sivakumar confirmed, “We will be carrying out skeleton age-determination test this year as per the guidelines of the All India Football Federation.”

In the previous edition, TG English School, Bishnupur (Manipur) won the Junior Boys title. Mother International School, Ranchi (Jharkhand) defended their Junior Girls title, while Nongiri Presbyterian Secondary School, Meghalaya lifted the Sub-Junior Boys trophy in Bengaluru.