British School - soccer champs

Angu Rajendran

The British School football teams won both the girls and boys titles at the Under 18 International Schools Football championships held recently. These young girls and boys are crazy about football. How did they feel before the Ritzbury International Schools Football championships final match against defending champions Colombo International School?

"We knew we were going to win," said Tharoun the most outspoken member of the British School Boys Football team of their double success in the International Schools Football Championships for boys and girls. The boys beat CIS 3/1 in the final and the girls beat Overseas School 3/1 again in the finals.

Both the girls and the boys teams are coached by twenty two year old Thaabit Ahamed - the British School kids were concerned that I had formerly captained the CIS team and whether I would have divided loyalties but then I told them "you are now my team. I am going to leave no stone unturned to help you win".

Both the boys and girls practice together and have the same coach Thaabit Ahamed. "Our coach told us that whatever happens we were going to win. We had practiced hard for three months and there was no other trick to it," said Natalie - captain of the girls' team. "And we believed him as he believed in us."

"We only conceded two goals in the entire tournament," said another player Thomas. "The ball hardly ever came to the opponents goal.

"We were very scared before the finals," said Avanthi and Megan. Although we had been football champions for the last six years, this year for the first time Overseas School entered the tournament. That was terrifying because in our every encounter with them we had lost before when we played friendly matches.

As coach, Thaabit Ahamed, barely out of school himself, says "coaching the girls is so different from coaching the boys. The girls cry a lot. They cry before the match, during the match and even after the match they cry because we have won. Its really crazy how girls can cry so much."

The British Schoolgirls' team played the Overseas school in the finals. Overseas comes with a reputation so huge because they play a lot of International tournaments. However though we were behind during the half whistle - 1/0. Our coach Thaabit gave us a talk of a lifetime. He said we can turn the match. That he was confident and we did, to win 3/1 even after having lost in the preliminary round to them with the same score, said another player Kimaya.

Megan even cried because she was so inspired by Thaabit's talk, said Enakshi and Nusheh. "But yes, they all agreed. Thaabit is a real one for giving inspirational and motivational talks. That really helps us to build up our confidence. He is quite confident of our abilities and that really gives us confidence." Goal keepers Sarah Peterson and Nithisha had a few dreadful moments in the match. As Thaabit says in the final, the goalie Sarah was just standing at the goalpost, when the Overseas forward came driving towards the goal at such speed that Sarah was simply rooted to the spot and Thaabit and the rest of British School watched with their hearts in their mouths.

But no, Natalia flew in to save the goal and the match. She made a clean tackle and got the ball.

"We are all about team," said Sarini player of the Match. "We are all very close friends on and off the field. Especially in the mornings when we have to come in for fitness practices. Every morning!.