Delhi begin title defence with big victory

Narainpur

Defending champions Delhi started strong at the Swami Vivekananda U-20 Men's National Football Championship 2025. They crushed Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu 14-0 in their Group F opener at Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama Ground.

Ten players scored for Delhi, with the first goal coming in the 2nd minute from Moirangthem Singh. Laishram Meitei followed with a goal in the 5th minute and added two more later to complete his hat-trick. Aditya Adhikhari also grabbed a hat-trick, scoring three times in the first half.

Other scorers included Aman, Sankhil Tuishang, Sachin, Nishan Lopchan, and Mohd Aaish, who added to the dominant second-half display.

In Group E action, Chandigarh beat Pondicherry 5-0. They took a four-goal lead by half-time, with Manveer Singh scoring twice and Sahil netting a hat-trick. Sahil’s goals came in the 39th, 43rd, and 64th minutes, finishing strong chances near the goal.

The match between Telangana and Uttarakhand ended in a 0-0 draw, with both sides focused on tight defence. Clean sheets on both ends meant each team earned one point.

Only one team from each group can move on to the quarter-finals, making every match very important. The opening day showed strong performances and set the stage for an exciting tournament ahead.