Tribhuvan Army Club (TAC) defended the Lalit Memorial U-18 Championship title with a 1-0 win over Sankata Club in the final at the Anfa Complex in Satdobato on Monday. 

A lone goal from Arik Bista in the second half separated the teams. Bista struck in the 52nd minute through a freekick that kissed the nets after a bounce in the crowded zone. The Army team received Rs 300,000 and runners-up Sankata took home Rs 150,000. “We had a big challenge to defend the title and I am really happy to do it,” TAC coach Chakra Tamang said. “Overall our run in the tournament was satisfactory. We played even better than last edition.”

The Army team, studded with 12 Anfa Academy passouts, dominated the first half and kept Sankata under consistent pressure. TAC created more than half a dozen of scoring chance and pushed Sankata on the backfoot.

As many as six players were deployed to stop TAC but they soon after conceding a goal, they changed the formation. Sankata came close to equalising in the 79th minute but Roshan Pahari applied a feeble shot from close range forcing TAC goalie Arpan Karki a diving save.

Devraj Tamang then shot wayward in the resulting rebound.

Tamang rued on the missed chanced. “We should have scored more goals but for the missed opportunities,” said Tamang adding that current members have the opportunity to promote themselves for the senior team. “They joined us for this tournament but interested players have chances to enroll themselves for the senior team as well.”

Tamang’s Sankata counterpart Sugan Tandukar was satisfied despite finishing second. “We lost in the final but the runners-up finish among 16 teams is an achievement for us. I am satisfied with our run in the tournament,” said Tandukar. 

TAC scooped four out of five individual awards. Arpan Karki was named best goalkeeper, Biswash Udas the

best defender and Dinesh Yonjan the best midfielder. Tamang was adjudged the best coach. Dipesh Ale Magar of Sankata won the best forward honour.