Administrator’s Challenge Cup from Wednesday, 17 teams in action

The UT Sports Department will host the 20th Administrator’s Challenge Cup All India Football Tournament (U-17) from November 20 to 28, at the Sector 42 Sports Complex and Sector 46 Sports Complex.

Seventeen teams, including BR Ambedkar Football Academy (Kalyani, West Bengal); Ideal Youth Association (IYA) FC; Numaligarh Refinery Limited Football Academy, Assam; Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools, New Delhi; Arise Football Academy, Uttarakhand; CASA Football Academy Barwani (Madhya Pradesh); Kuljeet Football Academy (Amritsar, Punjab); Dashmesh Football Academy (Anandpur Sahib, Punjab); Sreenidi Deccan Academy (Hyderabad); Rajasthan United Football Club (Alwar, Rajasthan); Swami Krishnamritan and Pracharya (Narayanpur, Chhattisgarh); Football School of Mumbai (Maharashtra); Chandigarh Football Academy (Chandigarh); Sandhu Football Academy (Chandigarh); Roundglass Football Club (Mohali, Punjab); Minerva Academy FC (Mohali, Punjab) and Punjab Sporting Football Academy (Amritsar, Punjab), will participate in the nine-day event.

The teams have been divided into four pools and will play league matches before entering the knockout stage. The top finisher of the league stage will qualify for the direct semifinals. The tournament was the brainchild of Lt Gen JFR Jacob (retd), former UT Administrator.

The department has increased the prize money this time. The tournament carries a prize of Rs 3 lakh, Rs 2 lakh, Rs 1 lakh and Rs 50,000 for the first, second, third and fourth places finishers, respectively.

The players and officials will be provided free boarding and lodging and travelling expenses. The opening match will be held between Sandhu Football FC and Swami Krishnamritan and Pracharya club at Sector 46 Sports Complex (3.45 pm).

Only two teams from Chandigarh

While Minerva Football Club makes a comeback to play the championship after a gap of two years, only two teams from Chandigarh will participate in the event. Surprisingly, the Chandigarh Football Association (CFA) — the local association responsible for running football affairs — didn’t field their team this year. Last year, a match between Ideal Youth’s Association Football Club (Manipur) and Chandigarh Football Association had turned into a battlefield.

In the last edition, hosts Chandigarh Football Academy had fielded two teams, but this time the defending champions have named only one team.

Bone ossification test on HC orders

Following the Punjab and Haryana High Court orders, the UT Sports Department will conduct bone ossification test of all players at local government hospitals — in Sector 16 and Sector 32 — to tackle the issue of ‘overage’ players in the tournament. Meanwhile, for the first time in the history over of the tournament, the participating teams will be putting up at a Sector 24 hotel and UT guest house.