The Sri Lanka Schools’ Football Association conducted their annual Zonal Football Tournament for the schools in the Piliyandala Zone on the 18th and the 19th of June, 2024. The Under 20, Under 18, and Under 16 teams from College participated in their respective tournaments and performed exceptionally. The Under 20 and Under 16 Teams emerged as Zonal and Divisional Champions, whilst the Under 18 Team emerged as Zonal Champions and Divisional Runners-Up. The following is how each team performed in their respective matches.
Under 20
The College 1st XI Football Team, led by Nikil Jerushan on the day, played their Zonal matches at the Piliyandala Central College Grounds on the 18th of June 2024. The first match, played against St. Sebastian’s College, ended 1-0 in College’s favour, with Jaden Rajadurai scoring the solitary goal. This was followed by victory in the Semi-Final match versus Hindu College by 2 goals to nil with Jaden Rajadurai and Adithya Varenthiran netting the two goals. The Final was played against Lalith Athulathmudali College. The College team emerged as Champions with the scoreline reading 2-0 at Full Time. Once again, Jaden Rajadurai and Adithya Varenthiran were the goal-scorers.
The victory brought immense joy to the team as this meant that they became the Zonal Champions as well as the Divisional Champions. It was also the first time after a lapse of two years the 1st XI team made it to the Western Province Tournament.
Under 18
The Under 18 Team, led by Rasindu Rabel, played their matches on the 18th and 19th of June at the Railway Grounds, Ratmalana. The first match, which was against Hindu College, ended 3-0 in favour of College. The goal-scorers of the match were Rasindu Rabel, Mayanka Dias and Akaash Varatharajan. The Semi-Final match was played versus St. Sebastian’s College, where College won 1-0, with Piranesh Raw as the solitary goal-scorer. Unfortunately, the team fell short in the Final versus Lalith Athulathmudali College on penalties. However, the team still managed to qualify for the Western Province Tournament while also becoming the Zonal Champions and Divisional Runners-Up.
Under 16
The Under 16 team, captained by Ayush Abraham, also played their matches on the 18th and 19th of June at the Railway Grounds, Ratmalana. Their first match, versus Wycherley International School, ended in a 1-0 victory, with Suhen Peiris scoring the goal. They qualified for the Finals by defeating Moratu Maha Vidyalaya 2-0 in their next match. Ayush Abraham and Trinesh Dwight netted the two goals. They ultimately became Zonal and Divisional Champions by victory against Prince of Wales College, where the match was won by College 3-1 via a penalty shootout. This also meant that the Under 16 Team qualified for the Western Province Tournament.
