Shillong, May 12: Meghalaya were unable to defend their gold in boys’ football at the 7th Khelo India Youth Games after losing 2-1 to Jharkhand in the semifinal round in Begusarai, Bihar, today.
Jharkhand drew early blood with a free-kick in only the third minute. The ball, from distance, bounced into the box and beat all the players, including Meghalaya goalkeeper Kangkam G Momin.
Jharkhand held the lead for nearly an hour before Banganson Nongphlang equalised with a thundering right-footer in the 58th minute, placing it out of reach of the advancing opposition goalie.
Parity, however, lasted just 10 minutes before Jharkhand stretched the defence on the run and one of their players nailed a cross into the back of the Meghalaya net, making it 2-1.
The Meghalaya boys were heartbroken when the final whistle was eventually blown, signalling the end of their title defence hopes.
To recap, Meghalaya had won two group matches, 10-1 against Chandigarh and 3-1 against West Bengal, and also lost once to Odisha 2-1. As the second-best team in Group A they were able to progress to the semis where they lost to Group B winners Jharkhand today.
Meanwhile, the earlier semifinal saw Odisha smash Mizoram 5-1. The final will take place on Wednesday.
As we understand it, there will be no third-place playoff – both Meghalaya and Mizoram will be awarded bronze medals.
