PANJIM: The 1 Goa Battalion NCC has qualified for the U-15 Subroto Cup after winning the Karnataka & Goa NCC Directorate NCC qualifiers held at St Paul’s High School, in Belgaum. In the final league match, the Goa team drew with the combined Karnataka NCC team, which included cadets predominantly from the North East.
This achievement means Goa will have two teams at the Subroto Cup: the champion school of Goa, Perpetual Succour - Navelim and the NCC Goa team, which is comprised of cadets from schools that were eliminated in earlier rounds of the State Subroto Cup competition or from remote areas of Goa, such as Keri, Satteri, Marcela, and Bicholim, where schools did not participate in the tournament.
Col Jesus Furtado, Commanding Officer of the 1 Goa Battalion NCC, expressed his joy at this accomplishment, stating that the ultimate aim is to win the Subroto Cup, a goal that has eluded Goa since 1989. “I believe that with the talent in Goa, we will bring back the Subroto Cup this year,” he said.
He also emphasised that the passion for football serves as a force multiplier, spreading nationalism and respect for the armed forces, with NCC being the first step for children aspiring to join the Indian Armed Forces.
Earlier, the Goa NCC team showcased their dominance by defeating Mysuru 7-1 and Bengaluru 3-0 to top the points table. Standout goal scorers included Tanish Tendulkar (1), Aaryav Da Costa (3), Andreas Furtado (1), Nathan Fernandes (1), Mark D’Costa (1), and Reuben Barbosa (3). The team is coached by Ramesh Honnali, a PE teacher at Loyola High School, in Margao.