Pune, 29th July 2023: The Loyola Football Cup powered by Tata Autocomp is all set for an enthralling finale, as host Loyola H.S prepares to take on The Bishop’s School, Camp for the ultimate honors.
At the Loyola H.S ground in Pashan on Saturday, both teams showcased contrasting results to secure their places in the final showdown.
Organized by the Ex Loyola Students Network (ELAN) and Loyola High School, Pune, The Bishop’s School, Camp had a successful run in the tournament, defeating St. Vincent’s H.S twice (Under-12 and Under-16) and later J.N Petit Technical H.S (Under-14). Similarly, Loyola H.S overcame Hutchings H.S (Under-12 and Under-14) and pushed past Blue Ridge (Under-16).
The Bishop’s School, Camp displayed a brilliant comeback win in the Under-16 section against St. Vincent’s H.S, securing a dramatic 3-2 victory at the last moment.
In a nail-biting contest, St. Vincent’s H.S took the lead with a goal by Aryan Suryavanshi (41st minute), which was swiftly equalized by Iqbal Shaikh (42nd minute). The Bishop’s School then regained the lead through Aariz Shaikh (50th minute), only for Neel Sengupta (52nd minute) to level the score for St. Vincent’s H.S.
In added time, a thrilling moment unfolded when St. Vincent’s H.S’s Aryan Suryavanshi hit the crossbar with a free-kick. Seizing the opportunity, The Bishop’s School capitalized on the rebound, and Iqbal Shaikh found the back of the net, securing a dramatic victory.
In the Under-14 section, The Bishop’s School dominated J.N Petit Technical H.S with a convincing 3-0 win, with goals from Joshua Songate (28th minute), Rehan Jaipuri (32nd minute), and Arjun Deshpande (50+1 minute).
The first semifinal slot in the Under-12 section was claimed by The Bishop’s School, who secured a 3-1 victory over St. Vincent’s H.S. Hitaansh Khatri’s brace (6th and 17th minutes – penalty) and Param Bedmutha’s goal (40+2 minutes) ensured their win, while Joel Cherian (29th minute) scored for St. Vincent’s H.S.
The afternoon session belonged to the hosts, Loyola H.S.
In the Under-12 section, Loyola H.S triumphed over Hutchings H.S 4-3 in a sudden-death finish. With no goals in regulation time, Anurag Parasnis, Austin James, and Abheer Patil netted for Loyola H.S, while Aharshi Hazra, Parth Patil, and Shivraj Ghuge scored for Hutchings H.S, resulting in a 2-2 draw. In the sudden-death, Medhansh Lingam’s goal secured a 4-3 win for Loyola H.S after Vivaan Pillay’s penalty-kick for Hutchings H.S was saved by Agastya Dasmana.
Subsequently, in the Under-14 category, Loyola H.S secured a commanding 4-1 victory over Hutchings H.S. Param Kulkarni (18th minute), Parth Shinde (20th minute), Rutvik More (29th minute), and Ayush Chavan (50+1 minute) were the goal scorers for Loyola H.S, while Varun Thiruvalluvan (39th minute) scored the lone goal for Hutchings H.S.
The last semifinal in the Under-16 section saw Loyola H.S ease past Blue Ridge Public School with a convincing 4-0 win, courtesy of goals from Vedant Gupta (13th minute), Vedant Kamble (23rd minute), Atharva Sonawane (37th minute), and Roodra Shelar (43rd minute).
As the Loyola Football Cup reaches its pinnacle, fans eagerly await an action-packed finale between Loyola H.S and The Bishop’s School, promising an exhilarating clash for the championship title.
RESULTS (all Semifinals)
Under-12: The Bishop’s School, Camp: 3 (Hitaansh Khatri 6th, 17th – pen.; Param Bedmutha 40+2) bt St. Vincent’s H.S: 1 (Joel Cherian 29th)
Under-14: The Bishop’s School, Camp: 3 (Joshua Songate 28th, Rehan Jaipuri 32nd; Arjun Deshpande 50+1) bt J.N Petit Technical H.S: 0
Under-16: The Bishop’s School, Camp: 3 (Iqbal Shaikh 43rd, 60+2; Aariz Shaikh 50th) bt St. Vincent’s H.S: 2 (Aryan Suryavanshi 41st; Neel Sengupta 52nd)
Under-12: Loyola H.S: 0 (3,1) (Anurag Parasnis, Austin James, Abheer Patil, Medhansh Lingam) bt Hutchings H.S: 0 (3,0) (Aharshi Hazra, Parth Patil, Shivraj Ghuge)
Under-14: Loyola H.S: 4 (Param Kulkarni 18th, Parth Shinde 20th, Rutvik More 29th, Ayush Chavan 50+1) bt Hutchings H.S: 1 (Varun Thiruvalluvan 39th)
Under-16: Loyola H.S: 4 (Vedant Gupta 13th, Vedant Kamble 23rd, Atharva Sonawane 37th, Roodra Shelar 43rd) bt Blue Ridge Public School: 0
