Overview
- Minerva Academy’s Under-12 side beat Brazil’s RS Sports 2-1 in the Gothia Cup final on Saturday to retain the title.
- The Gothia triumph completed a European double for the Chandigarh-based academy days after their Helsinki Cup victory.
- The team finished the Gothia campaign unbeaten, winning eight matches and outscoring opponents by a reported 86 goals to 7.
- Minerva’s route included lopsided knockout wins of 17-1 over OFC Couronnes and 8-0 over Cancheritos, plus a tight 3-2 semi-final before Kipgen Thangsanglen and Mekhamkhraw Nongrem decided the final.
- The win adds to a pattern of European success for the academy, owned by Ranjit Bajaj, and has prompted contact from scouts in Spain and England that could create pathways for these players into professional setups.