PANAJI: ATK Mohun Bagan’s 1-1 draw against West Ham United in the Next Gen Cup early this week was cheered in India and England. Last year, when India’s youth teams travelled to UK for the tournament, Bengaluru FC and Kerala Blasters FC fell woefully short, losing by heavy margins against their Premier League opponents. Tottenham Hotspur, for example, scored seven against KBFC, while BFC lost 3-6 against Leicester City. In Mumbai this week, Indian clubs are putting up a fight.
“The draw against West Ham, one of our leading age-group teams in Premier League, is a good indicator,” Premier League’s director of football, Neil Saunders, told TOI on Thursday.