Mumbai, Jan 4 (PTI) WIFA vice president and state minister Aaditya Thackeray felicitated Maharashtra team players for winning the AIFF Junior Under-17 National football championship (tier-II) for the Dr BC Roy Trophy.

Thackeray and WIFA vice presidentParth Jindal presented mementos to the young players at a function here on Saturday, WIFA said in a release.

Speaking on the occasion, Thackeray congratulated the young footballers and told them to continue performing with the same intensity and bring more laurels to the state, adding that they should aspire to wear Indian colours.

"When you are playing a game, all of you are handling it by yourself. You are coordinating with every other player on the field and it's a very physical and mentally challenging situation. To come into tier 1 by winning the trophy is a big thing," Thackeray said.

In the final played last month in Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtraboys had pulled off a close 1-0 win against Tamil Nadu.

Maharashtra has now been promoted and next year they will feature in the Tier-I competition.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)