AIFF Media Team

NARAINPUR, CHHATTISGARH: Defending champions Delhi began their Group D campaign of the Swami Vivekananda U20 Men’s National Football Championship 2025-26 with an emphatic 5-1 victory against Sikkim, while Tripura, Punjab, and Maharashtra won their respective matches as well.

Delhi 5 (Parth Subhash Salunke 15’, Kanish Rawat 62’, 67’, Thongbam Lanchenba Singh 69’, Kanak Raj Vohra 90+1’)
defeated
Sikkim 1 (Sujal Bhujel 50’)

Delhi opened their campaign by defeating Sikkim 5-1 on Ground 1 at the Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama in Narainpur, Chhattisgarh, on Tuesday, May 12, 2026.

Parth Subhash Salunke gave Delhi an early lead in the first half, but Sujal Bhujel equalised for Sikkim after the resumption. Parity did not last too long, however, as Kanish Rawat scored two quick goals a little after the hour mark, to swing the match back in Delhi’s favour.

Thongbam Lanchenba Singh and Kanak Raj Vohra added one each, to make it a big win for the defending champions.

Tripura 3 (Arma Jamatia 45’, 90+7’, Kishan Debbarma 52’)
defeated
Himachal Pradesh 0

In the other match of Group D, Tripura defeated Himachal Pradesh 3-0 on Ground 1 at the RKM Ashrama.

Arma Jamatia scored in the last regulation minute of the first half, and another in the second half injury time, while Kishan Debbarma scored one in between, to make it a comfortable win for Tripura.

Delhi, with their big win, move to the top of Group D, while Tripura are behind them in second, only by dint of goal difference. The mountainous states of Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim are third and fourth, respectively. Only the top team from each group will progress to the quarter-finals.

Punjab 2 (Jodric Abranches 6’ og, Saqlane Sajid 59’)
defeated
Goa 1 (Jodric Abranches 36’)

Over in Group H, Punjab defeated Goa 2-1 on Ground 2 at the RKM Ashrama, on Tuesday.

Goa’s Jodric Abranches scored a sixth-minute own goal to put Punjab in the lead early on, but soon redeemed himself, levelling the scores in the 36th minute. However, Saqlane Sajid scruck the winner just ahead of the hour mark, for Punjab.

Assam 0
lost to
Maharashtra 1 (Nirvaan Bhatt 49’)

Maharashtra earned a slender 1-0 victory in the second match of Group H, after a goalless first half on Ground 2 at the RKM Ashrama.

Nirvaan Bhatt scored the only goal of the game, just after the resumption in the second half.

Punjab take the provisional pole position in Group H with 3 points; Maharashtra, who have the same number of points as well, are just a spot behind on goal difference. Goa and Assam are third and fourth, respectively.