A total of 106 teams across three categories, including four international sides, will participate in the 64th Subroto Cup, which will kick off here on August 19. The prestigious tournament will witness players competing across three categories — Junior Boys (U-17), Junior Girls (U-17) and Sub-Junior Boys (U-15).

The tournament, organised by the Subroto Mukerjee Sports Education Society (SMSES) under the aegis of the Air Force Sports Control Board, will be held across venues in Delhi NCR and Bengaluru till September 25. “We will have international teams from Sri Lanka and Nepal participating, which speaks volumes about the tournament’s global reach and rising stature,” Air Marshal S Sivakumar said at a press conference.

“As we continue to pursue our ultimate goal of nurturing young talent, this tournament provides an ideal platform for school children to showcase their talent, gain exposure and prepare for progression into senior-level football,” he said.

As part of the “Indian Tigers and Tigresses” talent identification campaign, seven players will be selected during the tournament for advanced training in Germany. India’s woman footballer Dalima Chhibber, the Guest of Honour on the occasion, said, “This is where my journey started in 2011 and I am privileged to be a part of this and sitting here life has come full circle for me. We are heading towards a golden future. Recently, our U20 team also qualified for the Asian Cup. It is a sport that every country plays. We are taking steps in the right direction and it is a matter of time that we achieve success,” she said.

The tournament, first organised in 1960, was conceptualised by Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee to promote grassroots football in India. Over the decades, it has become one of the most sought-after inter-school tournaments in the country. The tournament will begin with the Junior Girls (U-17) category in Delhi NCR on August 19, followed by the Sub-Junior Boys (U-15) category in Bengaluru starting on September 2. The final phase, featuring the Junior Boys (U-17) category, will commence in Delhi NCR from September 16.

The 106 participating teams will represent various states, union territories, and educational bodies, along with four international teams. More than 200 matches are scheduled to be played across all three categories.

In the previous edition, TG English School, Bishnupur (Manipur) were crowned champions in the Junior Boys category. Mother International School, Ranchi (Jharkhand) defended their title in the Junior Girls category, while Nongiri Presbyterian Secondary School, Meghalaya lifted the Sub-Junior Boys trophy in Bengaluru.