Relentless rain and waterlogged conditions at Dr. Ambedkar Stadium tested the resilience of young footballers on Day 2 of the Oriental Cup 2026, but the spirit of competition remained high as several schools registered convincing victories on Wednesday.
Tagore International School Boys Dominate, Sapphire Girls Triumph
In the Boys' category, Tagore International School opened the day with a 2-0 victory over Sapphire International School, Noida. Ayushman Sharma scored once in each half, netting in the fourth minute and again in the 29th minute to secure Tagore's passage to the next round. In the corresponding Girls' fixture, Sapphire International School defeated Tagore International School 2-0. Dhanvi Chawla opened the scoring in the sixth minute, and Aadya Chawla doubled the lead in the 12th minute, with the two first-half goals proving sufficient for victory.
Step by Step School Records Commanding 4-0 Win
Step by Step School, Noida registered a commanding 4-0 victory over The Indian School in the Boys' category. Chitman Singh opened the scoring in the ninth minute and completed his brace in the 16th minute. Yuvaan Krishna added the third in the 20th minute, and Vansh Gulati rounded off the scoring in the 27th minute. Step by Step School also advanced in the Girls' category after receiving a walkover against The Indian School.
Air Force School and DAV Public School Shine
The Air Force School, Subroto Park secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over Father Agnel School, Noida, with Arnab Kashyap scoring all three goals. Kashyap opened the scoring in the fifth minute, doubled the advantage in the 15th minute, and completed his hat-trick in the 25th minute. In the last fixture of the day, DAV Public School, Faridabad defeated Maharaja Aggarsain Adarsh Public School 5-0. Hitesh Solanki opened the scoring in the third minute, Pawan Gupta doubled the advantage in the second half, and Tarun Gaur scored a hat-trick to seal the emphatic victory.
St. Francis De Sales Advances via Walkover
St. Francis De Sales Senior Secondary School advanced in both the Boys' and Girls' categories after receiving walkovers against St. Mary's School, Safdarjung Enclave.
Tournament Details and Support
The Oriental Cup 2026 continues on Thursday with more teams competing for places in the next round. The fourth edition, held from July 7 to July 16 at Dr. Ambedkar Stadium, is expected to feature over 1,500 student-athletes representing more than 45 teams from across Delhi-NCR. The tournament boasts a more than doubled prize pool and a Rs 2.5 lakh scholarship programme for 10 deserving student-athletes. The event is supported by Oriental Structural Engineers Pvt. Ltd. as the title sponsor, with Nivia Sports as the Football Partner, Ocean Beverages as the Hydration Partner, and Central Park Resorts as an Associate Partner.
Day 2 Results Summary
Boys' Category:
- Tagore International School 2-0 Sapphire International School, Noida
- St. Francis De Sales Senior Secondary School beat St. Mary's School, Safdarjung Enclave by walkover
- Step by Step School, Noida 4-0 The Indian School
- The Air Force School, Subroto Park 3-0 Father Agnel School, Noida
- DAV Public School, Faridabad 5-0 Maharaja Aggarsain Adarsh Public School
Girls' Category:
- Sapphire International School, Noida 2-0 Tagore International School
- St. Francis De Sales Senior Secondary School beat St. Mary's School, Safdarjung Enclave by walkover
- Step by Step School, Noida beat The Indian School by walkover
