Meghalaya and Uttarakhand Make Waves with Dominant Wins in U20 Championship

Meghalaya took a significant stride towards the quarter-finals of the Swami Vivekananda U20 Men's National Football Championship by decisively beating Andhra Pradesh at the Rama Krishna Mission Ashrama. In a dominant display, Meghalaya overwhelmed Andhra Pradesh with an 8-1 victory, featuring two goals each from Alex Manar, Mebanlamlynti Masharing, and Ryan Gibbs Kharnaior. Phermanbha Lyngdoh and Sholinstar Syngkli added to the tally, while Andhra Pradesh's solitary goal came from B Bharath Kumar Reddy.

In another Group A encounter, Jharkhand emerged victorious over Rajasthan with a score of 2-1. Rajasthan had initially taken the lead thanks to an early goal by Rudra Pratap Singh, but Jharkhand's resilience shone through as they leveled the game via Roushan Kumar. Animesh Champia then secured the win for Jharkhand with a late goal. Meghalaya leads Group A with nine points and just needs a draw against Rajasthan to secure a quarter-final berth.

Group C matches saw Kerala overpower Chandigarh with a strong 5-1 win. A hat-trick from Sheril Shaji Thomas cemented Kerala's dominance, despite Chandigarh's Sarthak Ghosh's efforts. Moreover, Uttarakhand achieved a formidable 9-1 win over Andaman and Nicobar. Sanjay Mehra and Yash Mittal spearheaded the early lead, while Gourav Singh and Harshit Mahar scored braces to fortify their campaign. Uttarakhand currently tops Group C, with Kerala close behind, trailing only on goal difference.

(With inputs from agencies.)