St Joseph's Secondary School (Orlem) captain Adityan AP was over the moon after leading the team to a 2-1 win against a fighting St Paul's (Dadar) 2-1 in a boys' U-16 Division-II final of the MSSA inter-school football tournament, at the Neville D'Souza ground, Bandra, yesterday. Adityan, 15, a versatile footballer had every reason to have a blast as he is set to join Indian Super League side Kerala Blasters FC (KBFC) youth team next month. "I'm very happy and proud to captain a winning team. This is my parting gift to my school and I also thank my teammates, coaches, teachers, principal, and all who have supported me," Adityan told mid-day.

Aditya was the only boy to be selected from among the five players from Mumbai who attended the KBFC trials. "This is my last month in school. I will be leaving for Kerala in September to join the Kerala Blasters FC youth team and would be part of their program for the next couple of years. They will provide all facilities [boarding, lodging and training] and also look after my education. I'm looking forward to this new chapter," said Adityan. The summit clash was closely fought as both teams played an open attacking game and there was plenty to cheer for the parents who had turned up in large numbers to support their kids.