MSSA fail to arrange authentic silverware for under-16 div I champions Don Bosco, Matunga
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Don Bosco, Matunga completed a hat-trick of Mumbai Schools Sports Association (MSSA) U-16 Div I titles yesterday, to impose their domination on inter-school football even further. But despite their landmark achievement, the celebrations in the Bosco camp was dampened by makeshift medals handed out to the players by the organisers.
Don Bosco's Flyod Pereira shows his makeshift medal with a paper sticker
on it at Azad Maidan yesterday. PIC/ATUL KAMBLEWith as many as five teams in a position to win the league, Don Bosco had to beat Bombay Scottish, Mahim in a do-or-die encounter to defend their crown.
The Matunga outfit kept their nerve and won in style as Merick Fernandes and Satyam Mishra helped strike Scottish down 2-0.
The champions were surprised when they were given makeshift medals with paper stickers stuck on them.
Goalscorer Fernandes, who scored 10 goals in the tournament, said: "Yeah, we're shocked that we didn't get the real medals. Every year MSSA gives us medals with appropriate logos embossed on it. I don't know what happened this year. But that's fine, we won and that's what matters.
Skipper Floyd Pereira was equally shocked: "We're really surprised that we were given a medal with a sticker stuck on it."
Commenting on the medal fiasco MSSA joint secretary Sebastian Fernandes said: "We placed the order for the medals on the last minute. The company that provides us with the medals get them from Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh).
"As they couldn't deliver the medals on time, we had to arrange for makeshift medals. We have ordered for copper medals with the MSSA logo embossed on it and will send it to the schools in a week's time."
