‘Hotchpotch trophy’

May 10, 2012 |

Kochi

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The Santosh Trophy, known as the ‘hotchpotch trophy’ by former Indian coach Bob Houghton, is set to start in Odisha today.

Several debates are going on, on social networking sites and among the football fraternity in the country, about whether the inter-state championship is getting due importance or not.

It is true that several conditions put forward by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) have almost killed the glamour and enthusiasm it had once, but another set of players is finding this an opportunity to shine in the national tournament.

These are the department teams, as their team members are now getting a call to the State team after the AIFF asked the State association not to include I-League players in their respective teams.

Five players are from SBT, while from KSEB there are three players, and Kerala Police have also contributed four players to the Kerala squad. Of the 22 players, 18 players are from department teams.

“With such stringent AIFF rules on department teams, we were left out from the main tournaments. However, we are now able to send players as part of the State team for the Santosh Trophy,” says SBT team coach V.P. Shaji.

The State Bank of Travancore, Kerala Police and Kerala State Electricity Board teams have contributed most of their players to the Kerala team.

“It still says that there are several talented players in these teams. However, we are not getting much exposure as our I-League counterparts are getting,” he says.

Criticism has loomed over the discretion of the AIFF on the Santosh trophy too. Several football experts have said that it would be better to make the tournament an under-23 championship, where AIFF can unearth fresh and talented legs, who are not getting opportunity in the I-League.

“There is a need to revamp and make the tournament something that produces some good players.

Moreover, as there are no important inter-state championships held in the country, the fervour and enthusiasm can be retained as such,” says Shaji.

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