Fort Worth Texas has won the fifth inter-state soccer securing a victory of 5-3 goals against Rochester in penalty shootouts during the final battle held on June 21, Sunday, in Nashville, TN.
The winner received a gold cup and cash prize of US $3500, while the first runner up was awarded with a silver cup and US $2500, according to one of the organizing committee members and US certified referee, Jitu Basnet.
Meanwhile, Prakash Magar from Texas received “man of the series award”. Manoj Basnet was declared the “best goalkeeper” and Keshav Bhattarai as the “highest scorer”. Likewise, Nebraska became the “fair team of the tournament”.
The Organization for Bhutanese Communities in America (OBCA) said it also sponsored various awards. “OBCA has proudly sponsored man of the series award, highest scorer award, best goalkeeper award and fair team of the tournament award in the fifth Bhutanese interstate soccer tournament at Nashville, TN,” newly elected OBCA’s vice-president, Dilip Dahal, wrote in his Facebook.
Various 40 teams from different states participated in the three-day tournament hosted by the Bhutanese Youths and Volunteers of Nashville, and coordinated by the Bhutanese American Sports Council.
A group of former Bhutanese soccer players from Atlanta, Georgia initiated the scheme of organizing interstate soccer tournament on annual basis in 2011 by organizing the first game in Atlanta, Georgia. The second and third tournaments were held in California and Texas respectively, while the fourth tournament was held in Erie, PA, last year.
(Pictures are courtesy of Jitu Basnet)
