Sri Vijaya Puram, August 17: The Andaman and Nicobar Islands will mark a milestone in school sports this month as the Islands’ Under-17 girls’ football team prepares to compete in the 65th Subroto Mukherjee Cup International Football Tournament 2026 for the first time. The team will participate in the championship to be held in New Delhi from August 18 to 27, becoming the first girls’ football squad from the Islands to feature in the prestigious tournament.
The historic participation follows the team’s victory in the state-level football tournament conducted during the third week of April 2026. Representing Government Girls Senior Secondary School, the winning side earned the opportunity to compete at the national-level championship.
Following their qualification, the players underwent an intensive training programme beginning May 5, 2026, at Netaji Stadium in Sri Vijaya Puram. The coaching camp was conducted under the supervision of a qualified coach and Physical Education Teachers to prepare the team for the upcoming competition.
Ahead of the team’s departure, a send-off and blessing ceremony was organised at Netaji Stadium in Sri Vijaya Puram. Deputy Commissioner of South Andaman Purva Garg attended the programme as the chief guest, while Government Girls Senior Secondary School Principal Archana Singh was also present.
During the interaction, the Deputy Commissioner met the players and officials and conveyed her best wishes to the team for the tournament. She encouraged the young footballers to perform to the best of their abilities and expressed hope that they would deliver a commendable performance at the national championship.
The tournament, one of the country’s prominent school football competitions, will bring together teams from across India and provide the Andaman and Nicobar girls’ squad with an opportunity to compete at the national level.
The participation of the Islands’ Under-17 girls’ team represents a significant step for school sports in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, marking the first appearance by a girls’ football team from the region in the Subroto Mukherjee Cup International Football Tournament.
With months of structured training behind them, the team is now set to represent the Islands in New Delhi as the championship gets underway on August 18.
