ITBP high altitude football cup held in Leh

The Oasis Football club on Monday won India's highest Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) high altitude football cup-2017 by defeating Mahabodhi Football club by 3-1 in a tough finale match at the fifth Battalion ground in Leh.

The tournament was held in high altitude venues of Ladakh, where for a common person it is difficult to breathe.

This low oxygen and low atmospheric pressure of cold dessert of Ladakh makes this tournament the most difficult and challenging football cup in the world.

Chief Guest, Minister for Cooperative and Ladakh Affairs J.P. Yadav distributed trophies in the presence of DIG, ITBP Sector Head Quarter, Ladakh, Deepak Pandey, Sector Commandant and many senior officers of ITBP at the football ground of fifth battalion, ITBP, Leh.

Speaking to ANI, the Chief Guest said, "ITBP has taken revolutionary steps to promote Football and Ice Hockey in Ladakh. I hope that one day players from Ladakh will be part of our national team. The aim of this football cup was to identify talent in High Altitude of Ladakh and connect them with mainstream teams of India. This unique initiative of ITBP will bring revolutionary changes in the field of sport in Himalayas especially in Ladakh."

"This extraordinary football event was held for the first time in Ladakh," he added.

This football tournament was funded and encouraged by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India under Civic Action Programme to promote football and health awareness in the border areas.

The event was organised by ITBP, Sector Head Quarter (Ladakh).

The tournament was held from October 20 to October 30 in Ladakh.

This football tournament is termed as one of the world's highest altitude football tournament in India.