Atmiya Vidya Mandir’s Sports department has been making endless endeavours to prepare students to be skilful, disciplined and competitive in all types of sports and games activities. The coaches and sports teachers prepare students for various interschool tournaments. In the same way, AVM’s football team had been trained by the AVM coaches to participate fervently in the CBSE Cluster XIII U-19 Football Competition 2023-24.

On the joyful morning of October 18th, the AVM football team left the school campus for the venue of the competition with aspirations in their hearts to be triumphant in the approaching event. This U-19 Football Competition was being hosted by the American School of Baroda. As the teams reached at the venue, they were welcomed by the staff of the host school. The opening ceremony of this competition started with a parade which was followed by a dance performance. After that the Mayor of the city gave an inspiring speech and wished all the teams the best of luck. After this motivational speech, the CBSE flag was hoisted, marking the official start of this Cluster XIII U-19 Football Competition.

The very first match of the AVM football team was against Gajera Vidya School, Surat. With earnest prayers and brilliant shots, the AVM football team secured a commanding 7-0 win, leaving the viewers in awe. This resounding victory infused confidence in the AVM players for yet another match in the tournament and they secured another victory with goals from Ashish Kursawe, Neel Zadafiya and Daksh Talpara.

After winning the first day’s matches, the AVM team was ready to compete with the footballers of Nirma Vidyavihar (Ahmedabad) and once again they secured a noteworthy 4-2 victory. The ace players of the AVM team remained resilient on the field to win the match. In the qualifying round against Vatsalya International School (Borsad) the AVM team clinched a commendable 4-0 victory by displaying exceptional teamwork and skill. The notable goals were made by Ashish Kursawe and Aryan Yadav, who reassured AVM players’ determination to win.

In the second qualifying round against Cosmos Castle International School (Ahmedabad), the AVM team achieved a fantastic 3-0 victory, showcasing remarkable agility and skill. Moreover, in the semi-final match against Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s School (Vadodara), the AVM footballers faced a halftime setback at 1-0 but rallied to lead 2-1 early in the second half. Despite a heart-wrenching 3-4 penalty shootout loss, the bittersweet defeat showcased AVM team’s resilience.

Our team then played the third position match against Manav Kendra Gyan Mandir School (Kandari) and won the bronze medal officially, bringing home the trophy. With Guruhari’s grace and the school coaches’ efforts, the AVM football team received a trophy along with individual bronze medals for the ace players of the team. Thus, the triumphant players returned to the school campus with a heart filled with gratitude and a spirit to perform equally well in academics.

The goals tally of our team was as follows:

  • Ashishbhai-14
  • Neelbhai-05
  • Dakshbhai-02
  • Atmiyabhai-01
  • Aaryanbhai-01
  • Yugbhai-01

Written by: Yug Bhakta, Neel Zadafiya (Grade 11)