Vienna, VA: The Washington Khalazis hosted the second annual DMV Cup soccer tournament on Saturday, 2024, at Nottoway Park, Vienna, VA, which turned out to be a huge success. The event, which brought together soccer enthusiasts from Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, marked a significant milestone for the regional soccer community.
Previously known as the Malayalee Soccer League, the tournament was rebranded as the DMV Cup and organized by key figures from the local Washington Khalazis soccer community, including Siddique Aboobacker, Dinesh Mullath, Jibin, and Anas. The tournament followed an 8×8 round-robin format, with participants aged 18 and older competing for the coveted title.
After a day of competitive play, the Washington Khalazis and FC Aldies emerged as the top teams, advancing to the final. In a thrilling match, the Washington Khalazis clinched the 2024 DMV Cup championship, defeating FC Aldies 3-1 goals.
The award ceremony was hosted by Dr. Madhu Nambiar, former President of the Kerala Association of Greater Washington (KAGW) and 2022-2024 Regional Vice President of FOMAA. In his concluding remarks, Dr. Nambiar congratulated the Washington Khalazis and the DMV Cup organizers for executing a highly successful tournament. He also praised the players and officials for delivering an exciting and closely contested competition, which exceeded the expectations of local soccer fans.
The ceremony began with Jibin, one of the event organizers, honoring the referees, Makhaya and Shishir, with trophies and cash prizes for their contributions. Ismail of the Washington Khalazis was awarded the Best Player of the Tournament, while Dalton of FC Aldies received the Best Goalkeeper title.
Dinesh Mullath, key organizer, presented the runner-up trophy to FC Aldies after handing out individual trophies to the team’s players. The grand moment came when organizers Siddique Aboobacker, Anas, Dinesh Mullath, Jibin, and chief guest Dr. Nambiar jointly awarded the championship trophy to the Washington Kalazhis, celebrating their victory.
