Narainpur
In the Swami Vivekananda U-20 Men’s National Football Championship, Manipur secured a spot in the semifinals after defeating Telangana 4-1 at the Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama Ground on Sunday. Telangana was put into an early lead by Pitla Saiyashwanth (21′), but Manipur quickly turned the tide, scoring three goals in just 10 minutes. The comeback began with an own goal by Telangana goalkeeper Rishab Pradhan (23′). Yendrembam Rohit Singh (30′) then scored from the spot, followed by two more goals from Ashangbam Bhaskar Singh (33′ and 72′).
The game started evenly, with a large crowd at the Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama Ground witnessing an unexpected lead by Telangana. Manipur wasted no time in equalizing, with Blessing Keishing’s corner finding the net thanks to a tip from Telangana keeper Pradhan. Shortly after, Nicky Tongson Anal was fouled in the Telangana box, leading to a penalty that Rohit Singh successfully converted, putting Manipur in the lead. Bhaskar Singh extended Manipur’s advantage before halftime with a well-taken counter-attack goal. In the second half, he capitalized on a through ball from Maibam David Singh to seal the victory. Manipur will face Karnataka in the first semifinal on May 20
