The Hindu : Sport / Football : Santosh Trophy kicks off today

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Oct 14, 2004

Sport

Sport - Football

Santosh Trophy kicks off today

By Vijay Lokapally

NEW DELHI, OCT. 13. Watch out for the swiftest legs and the most muscular frames of Indian football as the National championship for Santosh Trophy returns to the capital after a gap of six decades. Thanks to the domicile ruling of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the loyalty factor will add to the quality of the competition which, one understands, will be assured following the participation of the top stars in the country.

The matches have been spread to four venues but none more alluring than Ambedkar Stadium — once a throbbing centre of football but struggling to attract fans in recent times.

When the National championship was last held in Delhi in 1944, the home team beat Bengal for its only title. After that Delhi's football glory has only remained a dream. However, it has thrown some players of potential into the national reckoning but as a team it failed to make a mark. The scenario remains unchanged even though local officials talk about Rishi Kapoor and Sunil Chetri in glowing terms. But then just two players do not make up a team in this game and Delhi will do well to qualify for the next stage.

The fans, however, will look forward to watch Bhutia in action. The organisers have been claiming that the star striker will represent Sikkim but there is an element of doubt regarding his presence in the championship due to a knee injury.

The championship will be enriched by the participation of the Manipur brigade, an explosive wealth of talent known to have improved the image of the game in India with their speed and skill. he tactical brilliance of two eminent coaches — Syed Nayeemuddin (Bengal) and Bimal Ghosh (Maharashtra) — will also be put to test in the championship.

Talent spotting

A talent spotting team of the AIFF will work through the championship to identify players for the next Asian Games in Doha in 2006. The exercise gains credence due to the participation of the nucleus of Indian football from their respective States, not only raising the standard of the competition, but also adding depth to the various development plans of the federation. The onus will also be on the team of referees. Of late, as seen in the recent IFA Shield, the quality of supervision has created embarrassing situations and this, without casting any aspersions, will be an area of concern for the organisers.

Kerala was to host this championship but pulled out citing the unfriendly weather conditions. Thrust with the responsibility, a team led by N. K. Bhatia, the affable Delhi Soccer Association secretary, has worked tirelessly to present the visiting teams the best of facilities.

"We've worked very hard and hope to give the football fraternity a championship to remember," said Bhatia, even as he supervised last-minute arrangements.

Twenty four of the 33 participating teams have already reported.

The organisers expect the event will bring the fans back to the venues in Delhi.

It would indeed be a Herculean task given the lack of sports culture in the city.

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