Mohun Bagan juniors script history at World U-12 meet

New Delhi, Sep 9 (UNI) Having created history with their maiden participation in the Danone Nations Cup, the Mohun Bagan U-12 team has heralded the arrival of a new, bold era in the Indian football by conquering fancied teams like Brazil, Spain and England.

The Mohun Bagan team represented India at the event. They were the first from the country to have qualified for the World Finals of the prestigious tournament, which started in the year 2000. They finished a creditable 12th among 40 nations, above renowned teams like England (15th), Italy (16th), Portugal (32nd) and Netherlands (37th).

Talking to UNI on the sidelines of an event celebrating this unique feat, coach Amiya Ghosh said, ''It is another feather in the cap for Mohun Bagan. The team performed extremely well at the Danone Cup which is almost like a World Cup for U-12 teams. The skill and technical ability of our boys was far better than of most other teams.'' ''In fact, the coaches of Brazil and South Africa were amazed to see the standard of Indian football. They were surprised that a team from India is competing with the rest of the world on equal terms,'' he said. ''Our boys have become richer in terms of experience. They have become more confident after this and this will help them in their future career.'' On the match against Brazil, Ghosh said, ''It was a friendly match. Our boys played really well and we defeated them 2-0.'' The coach, however, sounded a word of caution and said the boys will need proper grooming before graduating to the next level.

''We have to look after these boys. This is a talented bunch.

With proper care and nurture they can do great service to Indian football,'' he remarked.

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