New Delhi: For the first time since its inception in 1998, the final of the 2004 Subroto Cup meet (U-14) will not feature a team from Eastern India.

Instead, the final will have an international flavour with a school from Nepal taking on surprise entrants Air Force Bal Bharati School, Delhi on Wednesday.

Gyanodaya Bal Batika Secondary School, Heatuda, Nepal ousted Maharana Pratap Sports College Dehra Dun 3-1 in a well-contested semi-final. Striker Bharat Khaswas scored a hattrick.

Gyanodaya Bal Batika SS are the third team from Nepal to enter the Subroto Mukerjee (U-14) final. In 1999 ANFA Kathmandu, then coached by Stephen Constantine, had emerged champions.

Next year, Galaxy Public School, Kathmandu, finished runners-up.

In the other semi-final, Air Force Bal Bharti School upset St Ignatius Gumla, Jharkhand 6-5 in sudden death. The match ended goalless after extra time.

After the regulation five penalty kicks, the teams were locked 4-4. However, in sudden death the Delhi school team prevailed 2-1.

Coached by former Kalighat striker Biswajit Das, the Delhi team prevailed because of a clever substitution during the penalty shootout.

Biswajit noticed that his regular goalkeeper Ankit Sharma was visibly nervous and seemed unable to move or anticipate shots.

So he gambled and replaced him with a defender Brijbhan Singh Negi who showed outstanding agility and saved two kicks.