Oriental Cup 2025 kicks off on Monday at Dr. Ambedkar Stadium with a full slate of Boys’ and Girls’ matches

Rakesh Thapliyal
New Delhi: The third edition of the Oriental Cup, Delhi’s emerging youth football tournament, is all set to kick off tomorrow, July 21, here at Dr. Ambedkar Stadium. With 36 participating teams, 24 in the boys’ category and 12 in the girls’, this year’s tournament promises an action-packed week of high-quality school football, spirited competition, and inclusive community engagement.

The 2025 season will begin with seven matches featuring some of the city’s most exciting young talents. In the opening fixtures, Government Co-ed Senior Secondary School, Dwarka will take on Mother’s International School in the boys’ category, followed by their respective girls’ teams facing off. Next, Sanskriti International School will meet Amity International, Saket in the boys’ match, followed by the defending champions in the girls’ category, Sanskriti International School, going up against Amity International, Saket’s girls’ team.

Later in the day, the boys’ team from The Air Force School, Subroto Park, winners of the first edition, will face Kendriya Vidyalaya School (JNU), while their girls’ team will play Amity International, Noida. The final fixture of the day will see Amity International, Noida take on Kendriya Vidyalaya, RK Puram in the boys’ draw.

All matches will be played at Dr. Ambedkar Stadium, which will host the entire tournament through to the finals on July 29. The competition is structured with qualifier rounds, followed by league matches and culminating championship games for both boys and girls.

Recognised by the Delhi Soccer Association for its growing contribution to grassroots football, the Oriental Cup is steadily evolving into a meaningful platform where school teams experience structured, competitive play in a professional setting.

With support from Oriental Structural Engineers as the title sponsor, alongside Nivia Sports as the football partner and Ocean Beverages as the hydration partner, the tournament continues to expand in both scale and significance, cementing its place in Delhi’s school sports calendar.