Oriental Cup 2025 Begins in Delhi with 36 Teams at Ambedkar Stadium

The third edition of the Oriental Cup, Delhi’s fast-growing youth football tournament, is set to kick off today at Dr. Ambedkar Stadium.

Recognised by the Delhi Soccer Association for its significant contribution to grassroots football (the foundational level where young or amateur players develop skills and experience), the tournament has been steadily gaining recognition as a meaningful platform for school teams to engage in structured, competitive play in a professional setting.

This year, the tournament has scaled up with 36 participating teams, including 24 in the boys’ category and 12 in the girls’. The entire competition will be hosted at Dr. Ambedkar Stadium, culminating in the grand finals on July 29.

The 2025 season begins with an exciting lineup of seven opening matches, featuring some of Delhi’s most promising young football talent.

The first fixture will see Government Co-ed Senior Secondary School, Dwarka, take on Mother’s International School in the boys’ category. Their respective girls’ teams will follow in the second match of the day.

In the next pair of matches, Sanskriti International School will go head-to-head with Amity International, Saket, in the boys’ category. Following this, the defending champions in the girls’ division—Sanskriti International School—will face the girls’ team from Amity International, Saket.

Later in the day, the boys’ team from The Air Force School, Subroto Park—winners of the inaugural edition—will clash with Kendriya Vidyalaya School (JNU). Their girls’ team will take the field against Amity International, Noida, in what is expected to be a closely contested match.

The final fixture of the day will feature Amity International, Noida, locking horns with Kendriya Vidyalaya, RK Puram in the boys’ category.

The competition structure includes qualifier rounds, progressing into league matches, and ultimately culminating in the championship games for both boys and girls.

The tournament continues to grow in both scale and significance, thanks to the backing of Oriental Structural Engineers as the title sponsor. Additional support comes from Nivia Sports, serving as the official football partner, and Ocean Beverages, the hydration partner, ensuring the players are equipped and energised throughout the event.