Finals Review: Manipur emerge victorious

IMPHAL: Adding another feather to their already impressively-decorated cap, Hosts Manipur lifted the 18th Senior Women’s National Championship after edging arch-rivals Orissa in front of a capacity crowd at the Khuman Lampak Stadium. That it was their sixteenth title, meaning that the Devis have won all but two editions, speaks volumes of their domination in the women’s version of the game.

 

The all-important goal arrived in the 8th minute when Manipur broke through thanks to midfielder Y Kamala Devi’s well placed strike past the keeper to send the masses into raptures.

 

Thanks to the hard-working efforts of the Manipuri defense, the opposition threat created by the pair upfront – Orissa’s Pinky Bomal and Sasmita Mallick – was kept well under wraps and the visitors found it very difficult to create any inroads throughout the course of the ninety minutes.

 

Despite all of their best efforts to work their way back into the game, Orissa had no answer to the impregnable Manipuri wall and the game finished 1-0 in favor of the hosts at the final whistle.

 

At full-time, Manipur had recorded their third consecutive final victory over Orissa and what made the feat all the more impressive is the fact that they had done so without conceding a single goal throughout the course of the tournament. 

 

With a staggering twenty goals to her name, Orissa's Sasmita Mallick had the consolation of finishing as Tournament Top-Scorer.