The Mumbai School Sports Association (MSSA) inter-school U-14 Div I opening match between Don Bosco (Matunga) and St Lawrence (Kandivli) at Azad Maidan yesterday ended in a goalless draw, but one player caught everyone's attention
St Lawrence goalkeeper Karthikraj Kamraj turned in a commendable performance under the bar — effecting as many as a dozen saves, if not more — in his bid to keep the defending champions’ strikers at bay.u00a0
St Lawrence goalie Karthikraj Kamraj (centre) effects a save during yesterday’s MSSA inter-school U-14 tie vs Don Bosco. Pic/Atul Kamble
ADVERTISEMENT
Bosco forwards Mark D’Souza, Ashish Shetty and Keegan D’Souza repeatedly found their attempts on goal either accurately intercepted by Karthikraj or effectively parried away by him.
In fact, Karthikraj was under pressure even before kick off.
“Don Bosco is a school we have never won against, so there was a lot of pressure going into this match. Goalkeepers are prone to errors and are often blamed for defeats, but I am happy that I could contribute in a positive way.
“It was nice to have my coach and teammates come over to me and say ‘well played’ after the match. It may be a draw but it’s a good result for us,” said the 12-year-old.
St Lawrence coach Lachman Singh Bisht hailed his keeper’s heroics. “As a coach, I always want my team to win, but I am happy to see them put in a brilliant show against a much stronger opposition.
“Credit should be given to Karthikraj. We could have lost and by a big margin too had it not been for his efforts under the bar,” said Bisht.u00a0
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
