SJI SEND OFF SCHOLARS WITH WIN

Gavriel, Aidan due to depart for Spain’s Rayo Alcobendas as part of UTR project

- Lin Tianbao

St Joseph's Institution (SJI) wingers Gavriel Lai and Aidan Irfan received the perfect farewell gift on Aug 14, ahead of their stints abroad as national project Unleash The Roar! (UTR) scholarship recipients.

At the National Stadium, their team eased past Meridian Secondary School 3-0 to clinch their first C Division boys' football title since the school restarted the sport in 2012.

The win comes just four days before the duo are due to depart for Spain's Rayo Alcobendas, having been named among the nine recipients of the second batch of UTR scholarships.

Gavriel, who contributed a goal and an assist, called the win "one of the best goodbyes", while Aidan, whose cross led to a goal, added: "It's really nice to win before flying off, and I'm really grateful to my friends and school." The pair have been influential this season, with Gavriel notching eight goals and Aidan adding another seven. Besides them, Zhou Luye and Keanu Song have both scored nine times.