Nadal aaron senapala

South Asian Football Federation: India kicked off their South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) U-19 Championship title defence in spectacular fashion with a commanding 8-0 victory against Sri Lanka in their Group B opener at the Golden Jubilee Stadium here on Friday.

The dominant display was capped by a superb hat-trick from Danny Meitei (26’, 31’, 50’) while Prashan Jajo (17’, 62’) bagged a brace in a comprehensive all-round performance. Md Arbash (40’), Omang Dodum (48’), and captain Singamayum Shami (81’) scored one each.

The breakthrough came in the 17th minute when Prashan Jajo burst down the left flank, beating his marker with pace and precision before smashing home from a tight angle to give India a deserved lead. Just nine minutes later, a misjudged back-pass from Sri Lanka allowed Omang Dodum to pounce and deliver a pinpoint cross for Danny, who made no mistake with a well-timed header.