Meghalaya Youth League: West Jaintia DSA, Shillong, Nongstoin, and Ri-Bhoi reach semifinals

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaOctober 7, 2024

The semifinalists for the inaugural Meghalaya Youth League 2024 have been confirmed following thrilling quarterfinal matches. West Jaintia District Sports Association, Shillong Sports Association, Nongstoin District Sports Association, and Ri-Bhoi District Sports Association qualified in both the U-14 and U-16 categories.

After competing in zonal rounds at various venues across the state, the MYL, organized by the Meghalaya Football Association with support from the Government of Meghalaya, brought the top two teams from each zone to Shillong. The U-14 quarterfinals were held at the MFA Turf in Polo, while the U-16 matches took place at the Sports Authority of India center at NEHU.

The first set of quarterfinals occurred on Saturday followed by the second batch today. Each match showcased the rich talent within Meghalaya’s youth football scene.

The tournament witnessed its first penalty shootout on Saturday, where West Jaintia edged past Pyndengumiong District Sports Association 5-4 in the U-14 tiebreaker after finishing 2-2 even after extra time. The U-16 West Jaintia team, however, cruised to a 5-0 victory against Pyndengumiong, with Dangkermi-oo Ryngkhlem netting a hat trick. West Jaintia claimed the Zone B title, while Pyndengumiong was the Zone D runner-up in both age categories.

In an impressive display, the U-14 Shillong SA team (Zone C runners-up) secured a staggering 15-0 victory against Tura District Football Association (Zone A champions), highlighted by four goals from Damebantei Kharkongor. The U-16 Shillong SA team faced a tougher challenge, narrowly defeating Williamnagar District Sports Association (Zone A champions) 2-0.

Today’s matches saw Zone C winners Ri-Bhoi triumph over Zone A runners-up North Garo Hills District Sports Association in both categories. The U-14 team dominated with a 6-0 win, while the U-16 squad overcame an early 2-1 deficit to clinch a 5-2 victory.

The quarterfinals also featured two closely contested games between Zone D winners Nongstoin and Zone B runners-up Amlarem Block Sports Association. Nongstoin edged out Amlarem 3-2 in the U-14 match after extra time, thanks to a late goal from Shosstar John Sangriang. In the U-16 fixture, Amlarem opened the scoring with what was likely the tournament’s fastest goal, but Nongstoin rallied to win 3-1.

The semifinals are set for Wednesday. In the U-14 category at Polo, Shillong will face West Jaintia at 10:30 AM, followed by Ri-Bhoi against Nongstoin at 1 PM. In the U-16 category at SAI, Shillong will play West Jaintia at 10 AM, and Ri-Bhoi will take on Nongstoin at 12:30 PM. The finals will take place on Friday.