Thousands of Children and Hundreds of Parents Gather at SV Mammendorf Football Club in Germany.

There was a massive crowd of thousands of children and hundreds of parents at the SV Mammendorf Football Club in Germany.

The occasion was the club’s 56th Annual Youth Football Tournament. Among the 78 teams from 20 clubs, one team stood out for everyone — Nepal’s Kathmandu Kickers Football Academy.

Participating for the third consecutive year in this prestigious German tournament, the Kickers once again won everyone’s hearts with their performance.

This year, the Kickers took part with three youth teams — U-11, U-13, and U-16.

A team comprising 35 players, 4 coaches, 1 physiotherapist, and 3 parent representatives proudly represented Nepal on this international stage.

Among all, the Kathmandu Kickers’ U-16 team drew the most attention. Performing exceptionally well in a group of 10 teams, the Kickers had positioned themselves at the top of the standings before the final match.

With 23 points, they were strong contenders for the title. The second and third teams had 22 and 21 points, respectively.

However, in a dramatic turn during the final match, the Kickers lost to the third-place team. Although the teams ended with equal points, the Kickers had to settle for third place based on goal difference. Despite falling just one step short of the title, their performance remained unforgettable.

Beyond medals and points, the young players from Kathmandu won the hearts of local organizers and spectators with their discipline, sportsmanship, and determination.

Nabin Pande, the president of Kathmandu Kickers Football Academy, expressed his happiness that the players, who grew up with limited resources and infrastructure, showcased not just their talent but also Nepal’s passion for football.

This grand tournament, which had around 1,000 participating children, was entirely run by volunteers.

In such a well-organized and grand event, the warmth and respect shown by the Kicker’s players made them successful both on and off the field.

President Pande considers this success a testament to their mission of developing grassroots football.

“Our goal is to develop football right from the grassroots. This performance in Germany confirms that our mission is progressing successfully,” he said.

Nepal’s Kathmandu Kickers Football Academy has won the U-14 title in the famous youth league VR Bank Cup held in Mommendorf, Munich, Germany.

The U-14 team of kickers became the champions by maintaining their undefeated journey in the tournament that ended on Monday.

Kickers, who played 13 games in round robin league and final stage, scored 31 points by winning 9 games and drawing in 4 games. In this group of kickers, 9 other teams from various German academies participated.

The team secured the title by winning three out of four matches and drawing one in the last day’s matches. The team defeated SV Sillenbach by 2-0 in their last match. Aryabir Singh alone scored two goals in this important victory of the team. Aryabir also became the top scorer in his group. He scored eight goals throughout the tournament.

Thomas Hitzlsperger, a former player of Germany’s national football team and former captain of Bundesliga club Stuttgart, distributed the award to the Nepalese team. Hitzlsperger, who has also played in the World Cup, also spent some time with the Nepalese players.

Nabin Pande, president of kickers, said that the Nepalese players got an opportunity to gain important experience from this tournament which was conducted for three days.

“Our aim is to let Nepali players experience the developed football culture like in Germany, let us give them the opportunity to play football at this level,” President Pande says, “I believe that Nepali players have got that opportunity from this tournament in Germany.” I would like to thank all the parents and supporters of the players who support our cause.

This is the 55th edition of this tournament organized by Mommendorf Football Club every year. More than 1200 players from 76 teams and 20 clubs participated in the competition in different age groups.