*Sethi encourages youth to pursue sports with passion, commitment
Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU,Jan 1: In an electrifying finale of the 19th Christmas Gold Cup Football Tournament 2025, J&K Police XI defeated J&K Bank XI to lift the coveted trophy. The tournament was organized by the All J&K Sports & Cultural Welfare Association at Mini Stadium, Parade Ground, here today.
The final between J&K Bank XI and J&K Police XI ended in a 2-2 draw, showcasing intense competition and skill from both sides. Farhan opened the scoring for J&K Bank XI in the 10th minute, while Faisal Rashid equalized for J&K Police through a penalty in the 53rd minute. Hayat Bashir put J&K Police ahead in the 81st minute, but Toufeeq levelled the score for J&K Bank in stoppage time at 93 minutes.
With the match tied, the winner was decided through a tie-breaker, where J&K Police XI triumphed by 6-5, clinching the championship in a dramatic finish.
The match also saw disciplinary action, with Rohit of J&K Bank receiving a yellow card in the 32nd minute, followed by a red card, leaving his team a player short during critical moments.
The final was graced by Yudhvir Sethi, MLA East, Nuzhat Gul, Secretary J&K Sports Council, Shiv Kumar Sharma, DIG J&K Police, Hemant Digal, RK Chibber, Ex-Chairman J&K Bank, Advocate General MI Zargar Patwani, Ashok Gupta, Divisional Head, J&K Bank Zonal, Adarsh Jathiar, Ramesh Gupta and Vijay Anand Gill.
The match was officiated by referees Dheeraj Menia, Satnam Singh, Ricky Kumar and Aman Sudan, who ensured a fair and competitive contest.
Yudhvir Sethi said “I am delighted to witness such an exciting and competitive final which was a true testament to the talent, dedication, and sportsmanship of our local football players. Sports play a crucial role in nurturing teamwork, discipline and a sense of community, especially among our youth. I urge all young players to continue pursuing sports with passion and commitment.”
Yudhvir Sethi presented trophies to the winning and runner-up teams as well as to individual players who performed exceptionally.
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