Punjab Thrashes Ladakh, Secures Quarter-Finals Spot in Swami Vivekananda U20 NFC

In a commanding display, Punjab secured a place in the quarter-finals of the Swami Vivekananda Men's U20 NFC by defeating Ladakh 8-1 in a crucial Group C match held at the Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama Ground on Monday, May 19, 2025. The victory was pivotal as Punjab needed three points to guarantee their top spot in the group.

Despite Ladakh's early strike courtesy of Imran Ali in the eighth minute, Punjab quickly responded through Gaurav Singh, who equalized seconds later. Harmandeep Singh's clever chip and Gurmeet Singh's fine solo effort gave Punjab a comfortable 3-1 advantage at halftime. The second half saw Arun Kumar Chandla score twice in quick succession, with further goals from Damandeep Kumar and Arshvir Singh completing the rout.

Meanwhile, Manipur claimed a 6-1 triumph over Sikkim in the day's other encounter. This match, however, held no bearing on their qualification, as they had already secured their place in the quarter-finals. Konthoujam Lemba Singh and Md Abash scored hat-tricks for Manipur, emphasizing their dominance. Despite finishing level on points with Punjab, Manipur settled for second place due to their loss against the group leaders earlier in the tournament.

(With inputs from agencies.)