Zomi Football Club from Manipur, the Northeastern state of India, claimed the title of the first Bhutan Clearing Football Club Foundation Cup. In the finals played yesterday in Phuentsholing, they defeated the Himalayan Football Club from Sikkim, India.
The tournament will be an annual event hence forth.
Hundreds of football enthusiasts thronged the Phuentsholing Sports Association’s football ground to watch Zomi FC in white jersey and Himalayan FC in blue jersey battle for the championship.
Zomi FC came began strong. However, they failed to capitalize on the opportunities, says our Phuentsholing correspondent, Sonam Wangdi.
Himalayan FC made also made their presence felt with occasional attempts but failed to score. Both the teams couldn’t score even a single goal even by half-time. After the halftime, Zomi FC could score one goal, breaking the deadlock.
The winners took home a cash prize Nu.100, 000 and a rolling trophy. The players were also awarded a plaque each as a token of appreciation. The runners-up took home a cash prize of Nu.70, 000. They were also awarded with the appreciation plaque each. Individual prize like the man of the match was also awarded.
Bhutan Clearing Football Club is registered with the B Division of Bhutan Football Federation league. It organized the tournament to promote football in the country and provide exposure to the participating Bhutanese teams. Of the 16 teams participating, two were from Bhutan.