24 September,2011 07:50 AM IST | | Sundari Iyer
India U-16 goalkeeper Karan Chawan's heroics helped St Lawrence enter the final of the Mumbai Schools Sports Association's (MSSA) U-16 Div II inter-school football tournament for the first time yesterday.
Karan Chawan effects a save. Pic/Suresh KK
Karan saved two goals and scored one in the tie-breaker to help the Borivli school register a 4-2 win against Don Bosco (Borivli) after both teams failed to score in regulation time. Lawrence will face Jamnabai Narsee (Juhu) in the final today.
Karan dedicated the title to his mother, who did not let his love for football fade despite the loss of his father at an early age. Karan was only two when his father passed away. "It wouldn't have been able to pursue the game without my mother's support. I want to make it big in football and make her proud.
The international exposure I've received with the national team in Sweden (Asian U-16 qualifiers), in USA (Florida Football League) and training stint in Brazilu00a0 have helped me sharpen my skills," said the six-footer. Besides Karan, Lawrence's Tejas Poojary, Punit Gangwani and Ronit Manjrekar scored in the tie-breaker while Gavrav Nagarkati and Anurag Munjan found the net for Don Bosco.
