Defending Champion Karnataka Leads Charge in Santosh Trophy Final Round

The 77th National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy is set to commence on Wednesday at the Golden Jubilee Stadium near Arunachal Pradesh's capital Itanagar. Defending champion Karnataka will lead the challenge in the final round, joined by 11 other teams divided into two groups of six each.

The group stage qualifiers produced nine teams, while host Arunachal Pradesh and last year's finalists Karnataka and Meghalaya received automatic qualification. The addition of quarterfinals to the knock-out phase adds an extra layer of excitement, with the top four teams from each group advancing.

The two groups appear evenly matched, with Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Goa, Assam, Services, and Kerala in Group A. Group B consists of holder Karnataka, Maharashtra, Delhi, Manipur, Railways, and Mizoram. Notably, traditional powerhouses Bengal (32-time champion) and Punjab (eight-time winner) failed to make it to the final round.

The opening day of the tournament features three matches. Meghalaya will face Services in the morning session, followed by Kerala's clash with Assam in the afternoon. The evening session will witness host Arunachal Pradesh taking on a formidable Goa side.

The group stage will conclude on March 2, followed by the quarterfinals on March 4 and 5. The semifinals are scheduled for March 7, leading up to the grand finale on March 9.

Tags: #SantoshTrophy, #Football, #NationalChampionship, #ArunachalPradesh, #Karnataka