With a win and two draws and a loss on their side, the Swami Muktanand coach Manu Karkera says, “We have been promoted from the third division last year and I always knew that it would be tough for my boys to sustain themselves in the second division. But, now after completing four matches, I feel that we are a in safe zone, away from relegation.”

The coach always believed that football was a hard game and it was time for his boys to get ready for tough fights. Though he was a little worried about their small build, he says, “I taught them to tackle and play hard, which they learnt in quick time. I asked the boys to go all out and I’m glad they did.” But there is one more area the coach wants his boys to focus on_shooting. He says, “In the whole tournament, our problem was shooting from the long range.” The coach has now decided to work on it for the next league.

Earlier, 11-year-old Ajay Yadav saved the day for Swami Muktanand School by restoring parity, like a typical Bollywood pot-boiler, in the last minute of the match. After receiving a cross from Jatin Jain, Yadav made no mistake in sending the ball in for a goal.