Pramukh Cup and Yagnapurush Cup National Bal Mandal and Yuvak Mandal 5-a-side Football Tournament, London, UK

The year’s most anticipated sporting event had finally arrived for balaks and yuvaks on Saturday 11 July 2009. The 13th Pramukh Cup and the 3rd Yagnapurush Cup were combined together to ensure a unique and fun day out for the whole family at Alperton Goals, London.

Participating were 47 Bal Mandal teams with a diverse age range between 6-14 years and 24 Yuvak Mandal teams. The tournament was inaugurated with the traditional Deep Pragatya in the presence of Shri Harikrishna Maharaj after which the santos emphasised that the games should be played with the right team spirit.

The coalition of the mandals provided entertaining activities for both young and old alike, further ensuring that families experienced an enjoyable day out. The tournament began with tremendous enthusiasm and eagerness, the ground full of competitiveness but above all, alive with fun, laughter and happiness. Apart from the continuous enjoyment of football, refreshments were served throughout the day to all parents and children.

Despite the erratic rainfall, the quality of football was excellent with highly competitive action throughout the various age groups and the support for the teams equally good. Towards the end of the tournaments, both the balaks and yuvaks played their finals on the same pitch allowing everyone to support the finalists creating a great atmosphere.

The closing ceremony was held collectively in the presence of santos. To conclude the memorable occasion, the awards were presented in the evening Guru Poonam festival at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London. Another successful Pramukh Cup and Yagnapurush Cup engraved their wonderful memories in the hearts and minds of all balaks, yuvaks, parents and managers.

Bal Mandal

Yuvak Mandal