The national tournament took place on Aug 12 and 13 at Chiang Rai Provincial Stadium with a series of talented sides representing their prospective provinces in style.
Plukpanya Municipal School from Phuket Town did exactly that on Aug 13 as they won the boys Under-12 championship after demolishing the Football Plus team from Pattani 6-0 in the final.
There was further cause for celebration when students Phupha Lengkul and Phurinat Maneerat received awards for best goalkeeper and outfield player respectively, while Denpong Longthong won the top coach award.
Earlier in the day, Success FC from Phuket triumphed in the boys Under-10 division when they beat TAC Team from Nakhon Pathom 1-0 in the final match.
Further honours were bestowed upon representatives of Success FC as Wachiraphan Makmee received the award for best coach, while students Ammer Layu and Kantapat Wattanajamnong won best player awards for goalkeeper and outfield player respectively.
In the same age group, Plukpanya Municipal School finished a respectable third place when they defeated Chiang Mai Academy 4-0 in the third-fourth play-off game.
Demonstrating their strength across all age groups, the boys Under-9 team from Plukpanya Municipal School finished runners-up courtesy of a narrow 1-0 loss to Tag Team from Nakhon Pathom.
There were trophies and cash prizes for the finalists, with B30,000 going to each divisional winner, B20,000 to the runners-up, B10,000 to third-placed teams and B5,000 to the fourth-placed team. Awards and trophies were distributed by SAT Governor Kongsak Yodmanee during the closing ceremony.
Elsewhere, team Republic from Chalong in Phuket competed in the mixed Under-9 division although they came up against tough opposition in their group games, suffering a 3-0 loss to the Sawat Bovorn Academy from Songkhla and a 2-1 deficit against team Ngop Daeng from Kampaeng Phet.
However, coach Manu Alders remained upbeat, declaring the experience was an invaluable one for the students, on and off the pitch.
“The team qualified for the Chiang Rai finals via a regional tournament in Krabi a couple of months ago and it was a wonderful expreience to travel and compete,” Manu told The Phuket News.
“The team attended the opening ceremony and made lots of new friends before visiting the famous Wat Rong Khun for merit-making,” he added.
“The opposition were tough but the boys, and one girl, did not let their heads drop and competed enthusiastically until the final whistle,” Many said proudly.
The early exit provided opportunity for the team and their families to explore the nearby countryside of the traditional region of Lanna, which was a very enriching experience for both the students and their families, Manu explained.
“It was a fantastic experience overall and one which will only help the students develop and improve in future,” Manu concluded.