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The Greenfields Challenge Cup Tournament got under way on Sunday as the Jakarta Schools Under-10 knock-out competition took center stage. With 32 teams in action from all four divisions, there were nail-biting finishes in many games, which saw hundreds of parents crowding the touchlines in support.

Jakarta Japan School, appearing under the JJC banner, had three teams in action with mixed results. The final game, held at BIS Main Field, had more than 100 spectators screaming to the end as the match see-sawed between the JJC C team and Sekolah Victory Plus from the D Division.

JJC went ahead twice in the game with goals from Nihimori and Sakuma Fuga, including at the end of the third quarter. But there was no stopping Victory Plus goal machine Dwisadewo Fahmi, who, wearing the No. 9 shirt and leading the line for the lower-division side, plagued the Japan School throughout the game with a double hat-trick of six goals. Wearing bright orange football boots, Fami struck twice in the final quarter from 20 yards to sink JJC and send SVP through to Round 2.

Other close encounters included Sekolah Cita Buana’s 2-1 win over the French International School with two goals from Choi Jung Woo. JJC D edged past Gandhi Memorial School 2-1 to ensure a Japanese presence in the next round alongside its A Division side.

BIS Blue avenged an earlier league defeat at the hands of Central School, reversing the result in a 3-0 win with goals from Matthew Johnson, Aliseo Santiago and Justin Indarto.

Coach Frampton was pleased with the result. “I felt that we deserved more from the last game,” he said. “The players were determined today and it showed on the field. Their commitment was outstanding.”

There was plenty of commitment everywhere on Sunday. The tackles were fast and furious as the kids fought for the chance to move into Round 2. There will be representatives from all four divisions in the draw.

As one of the relieved SVP parents said at the end: “What a great win, but next time it will only get tougher.”