Riyadh hosts successful RIA Cup–25 youth football event

Riyadh: The Riyadh Indian Association (RIA), in collaboration with the Youth Football Academy, successfully concluded the RIA Cup–25 youth football tournament in Riyadh, celebrating its 25th anniversary with an energetic display of talent, teamwork, and sportsmanship.

Held on October 24 and 31, the event brought together youth football teams from across Saudi Arabia, offering young players an opportunity to showcase their skills and strengthen bonds through sport.

Tournament highlights

The two-day tournament featured competitive matches in multiple age categories, with players demonstrating exceptional talent and discipline.

• Under–14 final: Ceylon Football Academy (CFA) defeated Riyadh Soccer Academy (RSA) 3–1 to win the title.
• Under–19 final: Youth Sports Academy (YSA) – Riyadh outplayed United Sporting Jeddah (USJ) 5–1 in an impressive performance.

Individual honours

• Top scorer (U19): Thashin – YSA
• Top scorer (U14): Ajmal – CFA
• Best goalkeeper (U14): Shahasan – RSA
• Best goalkeeper (U19): Shahab – USJ
• Best defender (U14): Yehya – CFA
• Best defender (U19): Saleem – YSA

The tournament was organised by RIA’s executive team led by Ummar Kutty (president), Arun Kumaran (secretary), and Nikhil Mohan (treasurer), along with active members including Jubin Paul, Sinil Sugathan, and Mahesh Muralidharan.

The award ceremony, held in a festive setting, featured guests of honour Basheer Chelambra (president, Riyadh Indian Football Association), Yousuf (owner, Grand Lucky), and Mohammed Arif (manager, Universal Inspection Co.), who presented trophies and medals to the winners.

Celebrating youth and community spirit

The RIA Cup–25 reinforced the Riyadh Indian Association’s commitment to nurturing youth talent and promoting community engagement through sports. The successful event highlighted the growing passion for youth football in Saudi Arabia and set a new standard for grassroots tournaments in the region.