Promoting gender equality and encouraging girls to take centre stage in sports, the Inter-School Knockout Football Tournament for girls under the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) initiative began on July 21 across two venues in South Andaman, Junglighat School Ground and Bhatubasti School Ground. Organised by the South Andaman Educational Zone, the tournament includes participation from both primary and secondary level school teams.
At the Junglighat venue, the tournament was inaugurated by Vikram Singh, Director (Sports/Education), who urged the young footballers to adopt regular practice and dedication in their sporting journey. Addressing the students, Singh encouraged them to set personal goals such as completing 400 kicks a day, highlighting the importance of discipline, self-motivation, and consistency in sport. He also appreciated the District Education Officer, South Andaman, and the organising team for creating a platform that promotes football among schoolgirls.
Simultaneously, at Bhatubasti School Ground, Gyansheel Dubey, Head of Office, Directorate of Education, inaugurated the tournament and addressed the players. D. Pushparajan, Vice Principal of GSSS Bhatubasti, was also present and encouraged the teams to play with confidence, focus on teamwork, and display sportsmanship throughout the event. Both officials stressed the importance of empowering girls through sports and praised the enthusiasm of the participants.
The second day of the tournament saw eight exciting matches that showcased budding talent and growing passion for football among schoolgirls. At Junglighat, in the primary girls’ category, GSSS Model defeated GSS Junglighat 2–0, GMS Humfrygunj won 3–0 against GDMS (P), and GSSS Prothrapur secured a convincing 4–0 win over GSS Delanipur.
In the secondary girls’ matches held at Bhatubasti, GSSS School Line dominated KEMS with a 4–0 victory. GSSS Port Mout narrowly beat SSS NCS 2–1, while SSS KV-I overpowered GMS Chouldhari with another 4–0 win. SSS Nirmala edged past GSS Delanipur in a close 3–2 match, and GSSS Model outplayed the host team, GSSS Bhatubasti, with a 3–0 scoreline.
The tournament has drawn appreciation from educators, students, and parents alike, and is being viewed as a vital step in nurturing sports talent among girls. More than just competition, the event represents a larger movement, breaking stereotypes, building confidence, and encouraging girls across South Andaman to step onto the field with pride and purpose. With several matches still ahead, the tournament is set to witness even more spirited performances in the coming days.
