With the grace of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the 15th anniversary of The Amrut Cup 5-a-Side Football Tournament was held at the JJB Soccer Dome in Derby on Sunday 4 September 2011.

After some shock results during the group stages including Harrow A – a seeded team, not qualifying for the second round, the knockout stages also did not fail to surprise! West B provided the shock result by defeating West A 1-0. South A, Leicester B and Brent A progressed to the semi-finals with the final place to be decided between last year’s finalists North A and Leicester A.

In the semi-finals, Deepesh Patel of Leicester A made a fantastic run down the left and hammered home to put Leicester into the lead. South A fought back through Parimal S Patel – aged only 14, who turned his defender and slotted home accurately to equalise. Extra time could not separate the two teams and so penalties were once again required – this time it was South A who held their nerve and booked their place in the final.

Brent A and Leicester B fought for the remaining place in the final. Leicester B – having been a strong side in the tournament for the past four years, were in front with a great strike from Chetan Vadher. Tarun Patel levelled the game at 1-1. With the game fairly balanced and penalties looming once again, a quick turn by Dhruvesh Patel and a tidy shot from a tight angle gave Leicester B the goal they needed to secure their passage into the final.

The final between South A and Leicester B was a close match filled with moments of brilliance. Both teams showed their determination, making the match tough to call. A great move by Leicester and a clinical strike by Biraj Parmar saw them take a crucial lead in this tightly contested game. Chances were limited but both keepers came to their teams rescue by fashioning some brilliant saves. However, Leicester B held on and become the Amrut Cup champions on its 15th anniversary.

In the Nilkanth Cup, Leicester D won the title beating East B in the final.

The individual awards for players were given to Hari Patel of Leicester A who won the Golden Boot with an outstanding tally of 13 goals. The award for Best Goalkeeper was won by Bhavin Patel of South A. Parimal Patel of South A won the award of Player of the Tournament for his outstanding performances and goals that carried his team throughout the tournament and to the final.

This proved to be a great day for all who participated in the wonderful tournament. Celebrating its 15th year, the passion and desire to win this trophy still burns in everyone’s heart. Visible throughout the tournament was a great level of talent and unity, with football being played in the highest of spirits amongst kishores coming together from across the country.

RESULTS