St. Mary's of Jaffna Navanthurai won the championship by defeating the strong Saunders team in the knockout football final of the premier Champions Cup inter-club football tournament conducted by the Football Federation of Sri Lanka.
St. Mary's made history by becoming the first team from the North-East to win a major inter-club football match organised by the Sri Lanka Football Federation. The match between St. Mary's and Saunders held at the Colombo Racecourse ended in a 1-1 draw in regulation time, before St. Mary's won 3-1 on penalties.
Founded in 1936, Jaffna St. Mary's Football Club has been a struggling football club and was promoted to the Champions League in 2022. Since then, Jaffna St. Mary's Football Team has become the only football club from the North-East to compete in a top-tier football tournament in Sri Lanka
The 30-year civil war was a challenge to their rise to national football, and that journey was delayed, but they did not give up hope and remained in the game. It was remarkable that the St. Mary's Jaffna players were able to experience the results
The Champions League winners, Kurunegala Pelicans, were awarded Rs. 2 million and the championship trophy, while the runners-up, Javalane, were awarded Rs. 1 million. The Champions League knockout winners, St. Mary's Football Team, Jaffna, were awarded Rs. 1 million and the runners-up, Saunders, were awarded Rs. 500,000.
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