PUNE: Global Indian International School, Chinchwad capped a historic and maiden first by qualifying for the CBSE National Football Tournament 2019-20 at JBM Global School, Noida from 9th November 2019.
The Under-17 girls earned their right after finishing runners-up in the CBSE South Zone-II tournament. In the final, GIIS Chinchwad went down 0-3 to Ryan International School, Mumbai in Belagavi.
By making it to the Nationals, GIIS for the 2019-20 season became the only representation from the city at the apex girls football tournament in the CBSE sports curriculum. As per the CBSE rules the top two teams from each zone qualify for the Nationals.
At Belagavi, GIIS playing for the first time ever in the Zonals, which included 32 schools from the CBSE Bangalore, Pune and Thiruvananthpuram Region did well to capatalise on the first-round bye they earned to make the final.
The team comprising a mix of players from seventh grade up to eleventh grade knocked out teams that included PSBB Learning Leadership Academy, Bangalore (3-2 via penalties); SES Gurukul School, Pune (3-2 via penalties); School of Scholars, Wardha, Nagpur (3-0) before falling to the Mumbai side.
RESULTS
Final: lost to Ryan International School, Mumbai 0-3
SFs: bt School of Scholars, Wardha, Nagpur 3-0 (Angela Guttal 2, Anushka Gangwar)
QFs: bt SES Gurukul School, Pune 3-2 pen. (Vidhi Jhala, Sanjana Kamath, Archisha Gaikwad)
PQF: bt PSBB Learning Leadership Academy, Bangalore 3-2 pen. (Sameera Shah, Neha Bhagwat, Sanjana Kamath)
R1: Bye
THE TEAM
Sameera Shah (Capt.), Archisha Gaikwad, Yutika Kalbag, Neha Bhagwat, Tanisha Vaidya, Shivani Rishiraj, Swarda Sawant (GK), Ahana Raman, Niyati Agarwal, Vidhi Jhala, Angela Guttal, Nidhi Agarwal, Tia Binod, Sanjana Kamath, Rhianne Stephen, Asmi Pathak, Hritika Malagatti, Anushka Gangwar. Manager: Tracy Ferreira-Aigner; Coaches: Nikhil Nair, Ranjeet Joshi
Motivation
A little encouragement worked wonders: Dr. Vohra
The GIIS U-17s For the record began their quest with the ‘beautiful game,’ a little over two years ago. The team built literally from scratch, which included only a hand full who could kick and connect the ball, the school management led by Dr. Amrita Vohra, Director of Principals, pushed the team with unconditional support. Says Vohra, “I believe talent is hidden and what needs to be catalised is provide opportunity and support. I guess the rest falls in place thereafter. Well, the results are totally the efforts of the girls who also stood up to the occasion. One mention I would like to make is the dedicated support of the team behind the team which included Tracy Ferreira, coach Nikhil Nair who were the backbone from the beginning and this year coach Ranjeet Joshi who joined the fold.”
ACHIEVEMENTS
III-Place: U17, Subroto Mukherjee (PCMC Division), Pune in 2018
Runners Up: U-17, 5-a-Side Beacon Cup, Chinchwad, Pune in 2018
III Place: U-17, ZP (PCMC Division), Pune in 2019
Runners Up: U-17, CBSE South Zone-2 Football, Bangalore in 2019.
