04/09/2025
Celebrating Sporting Glory at the 9th Founder’s Cup Interschool Tournament 2025
The 9th Founder’s Cup Open Interschool U-17 Tournament, hosted by Wockhardt Global School, concluded on Tuesday, 2nd September 2025, with resounding success and jubilant celebrations. The four-day mega sporting extravaganza unfolded across the hallowed grounds of WGS, showcasing a fine blend of talent, teamwork, and tenacity.
The prestigious tournament witnessed the spirited participation of 13 leading schools from the region, competing in Athletics, Badminton, Cricket, and Football. From electrifying sprints to nail-biting finishes, every match reflected the unyielding determination and sportsmanship of young athletes.
The opening day set the tone with high-octane performances – Day 1 (25th August) featured the Interschool Athletics (Boys) and Badminton (Boys) events, where the tracks reverberated with speed and grit. Day 2 (26th August) turned the spotlight on the Cricket Tournament, witnessing power-packed batting, strategic bowling, and thrilling finishes. On Day 3 (30th August), the spotlight shifted to the girls, with intense clashes in Badminton (Girls) and Football (Girls). The grand finale on Day 4 (2nd September) was marked by adrenaline-charged Football (Boys) matches, drawing massive cheers from the sidelines.
The closing ceremony was graced by the distinguished presence of CBSE Principal, Mr. Abhijit Dive, who inaugurated the football matches with the ceremonial first kick and later presented the prizes, adding grandeur to the event. Along with the WGS management and staff, he extended heartfelt congratulations to the winners, runners-up, coaches, referees, and all participants who contributed to the resounding success of the tournament.
Among the stellar achievements were outstanding performances in Athletics by Nath Valley School, Woodridge High, Podar International School, and Al Irfan School (Khultabad). The Badminton court witnessed electrifying matches, with Cambridge School clinching the Boys’ Trophy, Nath Valley School lifting the Girls’ Trophy, and Woodridge (Boys) along with Cambridge (Girls) emerging as strong contenders. In Cricket, Woodridge High lifted the Winners’ Trophy, while Al Irfan School bagged the Runner-Up honour, with individual brilliance marked by the Golden Ball Award (Zahir Maniyar, Al Irfan), Golden Bat Award (Ammar Altamash, Al Irfan), and Player of the Tournament (Rajveer Muley, Woodridge High).
Football remained the crowd-puller, with spectacular saves, goals, and strategies that kept the audience enthralled. Special awards were presented across categories for both boys and girls. The Best Goalkeeper titles went to Kshirija Bhagat of Wockhardt Global School (Girls) and Sajjad Khan of Al-Irfan High School (Boys). For Best Defender, the honours were claimed by Roshini Ghusinge of TCH Orchid School (Girls) and Harsh Patel of Cambridge School (Boys). The Top Scorer awards were bagged by Suman Kadam of Podar International School, Shahnoorwadi (Girls) and Yisrael of Cambridge (Boys). The Player of the Tournament was awarded to Dharmishtha Girase of Podar International School, Shahnoorwadi (Girls) and Affan Pathan of Al-Irfan High School (Boys), while the Emerging Player titles went to Arushi Bagal of Wockhardt Global School (Girls) and Zidan Khan of Al-Irfan High School (Boys). In the team award, TCH Orchid School finished as Runner-Up and Podar International School, Shahnoorwadi lifted the Winner’s Trophy in the Girls’ category, while Cambridge School emerged Runner-Up and Al-Irfan High School claimed the Winner’s Trophy in the Boys’ category. In the words of Serena Williams, “Every champion was once a contender that refused to give up.” True to this spirit, the Founder’s Cup 2025 not only celebrated victories but also the unwavering resilience of every participant who stepped onto the field.
As the curtains fell on this memorable sporting saga, Wockhardt Global School stood proud, not just as a host, but as a torchbearer of sporting excellence and camaraderie. The echoes of applause, the spirit of fair play, and the passion for the game will continue to inspire young athletes for years to come.