Nepali who had taken sole lead on Monday with six points, lost to FM Akshat Khamparia of India in the eighth round and Trilokya Nanda in the ninth. [break]
Following Friday´s results, three Indian players IM Saptarishi Rai rated 2387, Santu Mandal rated 2161 and Shankar Majamdar rated 2093 jointly occupy the top spot with seven points apiece.
Rai defeated former Nepal champion Surbir Lama in the eighth round and shared points with Majamdar in the ninth. Mandal flopped Niraj Niraula and played a draw with Khamparia in the eighth and ninth round respectively.
Khamparia and Rupankar Nath of India along with Nepali player FM Manish Hamal, Wilamlal Shrestha, Niraula and Punyaman Karmacharya are in second place with 6.5 points apiece.
Nepal champion Nepali, Surbir Lama, Sujendra Prasad Shrestha, Uttamraj Thapa, Kamal Shrestha along with Indian players Manodip Dhar, Shankar Rishi and Nilesh Shankar have added six points apiece.
The last round match will be held on Saturday morning and the prize distribution ceremony will be held later in the afternoon.
Siddhartha Vanasthali, Bal Gitanjali triumph
KATHMANDU, July 16: Siddhartha Vanasthali and Bal Gitanjali won their respective matches on Friday in the Coca Cola Cup Inter-school Boys´ National Football Tournament underway at the Sano Gaucharan ground.
With a hat-trick from Ajit KC Siddhartha Vanasthali thrashed Ratna Rajya Higher Secondary 4-0. Rabindra Bhandari added another goal for the winning side.
In another match, Bal Gitanjali defeated Gita Mata 4-3 in sudden death after the regulation time ended in a goalless draw and tie breaker finished in a 3-3 tie. Kshitiz Thapa, Samir Thapa, Prabin Shrestha and Sailendra Snrestha converted their spot kicks for Bal Gitanjali while only Ajay Bal Tamang, Amit Shiva Bhakta and Subash Thapa succeeded in converting spot kicks for Gita Mata.
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