The 65th edition of the prestigious Subroto Cup International Football Tournament is set to begin on August 18, with 107 teams competing across three age-group categories in New Delhi NCR and Bengaluru.
The tournament, organised by the Subroto Mukerjee Sports Education Society (SMSES) under the aegis of the Air Force Sports Control Board, will run until September 24. More than 215 matches will be played across the Junior Girls (U-17), Sub-Junior Boys (U-15) and Junior Boys (U-17) categories.
The tournament’s official announcement was made on Wednesday in the presence of Air Marshal S. Sivakumar VSM, Air Officer-in-Charge Administration and Vice Chairman of SMSES, who attended the event as Chief Guest. Former Indian footballer Ashalata Devi Loitongbam was the Guest of Honour.
The Junior Girls (U-17) competition will open the tournament in New Delhi NCR on August 18 and conclude with the final on August 27. The Sub-Junior Boys (U-15) category will be held in Bengaluru from September 1 to 9, while the Junior Boys (U-17) competition will take place in New Delhi NCR from September 15 to 24.
Addressing the gathering, Air Marshal S. Sivakumar said the Indian Air Force and SMSES remained committed to expanding the tournament and providing young footballers with a platform to develop their careers. He also congratulated the participating teams and urged the players to uphold the spirit of sportsmanship.
Teams representing various Indian states, Union Territories and educational bodies will take part in the tournament, with Sri Lanka providing international representation.
For the Sub-Junior Boys category in Bengaluru, an age-determination test will be conducted to ensure a level playing field.
Matches in New Delhi NCR will be played at Ambedkar Stadium, Tejas Football Ground, Subroto Park Football Ground, Pinto Park Football Ground and Rajokri Football Ground. In Bengaluru, the venues will include Air Force School Jalahalli, Air Force School Yelahanka and Subroto Football Ground, Jalahalli.
The defending champions from the 64th edition in 2025 are Farook Higher Secondary School of Kerala in the Junior Boys category, Betkuchi High School of Guwahati, Assam, in the Junior Girls category, and Minerva Public School in the Sub-Junior Boys category.
First held in 1960, the Subroto Cup was conceived by Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee with the aim of promoting grassroots football in India. Over the decades, the tournament has emerged as one of the country’s prominent platforms for young footballers.
