Record 94 teams for 55th Subroto Cup football

NEW DELHI: The 55th Subroto Cup school football tournament will see a record 94 teams competing across three categories with the highlight being the Brazilian outfit ColegioEstadul Santo Antonio.

Ahead of the FIFA Under-17 World Cup, tournaments like Subroto Cup can be an ideal platform for the selectors to spot the budding talent and groom them for the mega event.

The country's only school tournament is organised by the Subroto Mugger Sports Education Society and Indian Air Force since 1961.

On being asked how the tournament will benefit the players, Air Marshal HB Rajaram said: "This will be a good exposure for the future Indian football players to shine and showcase their skills and get noticed by the selectors".

"It will also help them to make their way towards the national side and has got a significant role in assisting the All India Football Federation (AIFF) in formulating a team of extremely talented footballers from all corners of the country," he further added.

Teams from Indonesia, Afghanistan, Nepal, Ukraine, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Bhutan would also be participating in the competition.

The organisers claimed that foreign participation has risen this year with a 14 teams taking part from eight countries. A total of 78 schools competed in the last edition.

The prize money has also been enhanced to Rs 22,90,000, an increase of Rs 7,44,000.