Aligar National College Eravur triumphed in the Ball Blaster Challenge Trophy of the All Island U20 School Football Tournament In an intense showdown at Sugathadasa Stadium on Monday. The nail-biting final, organized by the Sri Lanka Schools Football Association, ended with Aligar securing a thrilling victory over Zahira College Colombo in a penalty shootout, with a final scoreline of 5-4.
The closely contested match saw both teams unable to find the back of the net during regular play. The fate of the final was ultimately decided in the penalty shootout, where Aligar, under the leadership of Muksith Ahamed, secured five goals to Zahira’s two.
In the battle for the third-place spot, Darussalam Vidyalaya Colombo, led by MFM Farhan, outclassed St Joseph’s College with a 5-2 victory. BM Suhaib of Darussalam Vidyalaya scored three penalty kicks, and MZ Zakki contributed two penalty kicks, sealing their win over St Joseph’s College.
The individual accolades were also presented, with BM Suhail of Darusalam College earning the Golden Boot for scoring an impressive 10 goals. Zahira College’s captain, MHM Hafeel, was recognized as the Best Goalkeeper, while Aligar’s MMM Munshif was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.
In the semifinals held on October 15 at Sugathadasa Stadium, Aligar Central College defeated St Joseph’s College, while Zahira College emerged victorious against Darussalam Vidyalaya Colombo in the other semifinal held on the same day.
The tournament, which featured the country’s top 20 school teams, was sponsored by Sri Lanka Sports TV, with the trophy generously sponsored by entrepreneur Dacsitha Sumathipala, who serves as the President of the Anuradhapura District Football Association.
