Sports News | Bengal Face Punjab in Santosh Trophy Opener
Get latest articles and stories on Sports at LatestLY. Record 32 times champions West Bengal will begin their group campaign against Punjab in the final leg of the Santosh Trophy here on Saturday.
Malappuram, Apr 15 (PTI) Record 32 times champions West Bengal will begin their group campaign against Punjab in the final leg of the Santosh Trophy here on Saturday.
Ten teams divided in two groups are fighting for the title in the premier football national championship that is returning after a span of two years following the COVID-19 outbreak.
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Led by Monotosh Chakladar and coached by Ranjan Chowdhury, Bengal are clubbed with Punjab, Rajasthan, Meghalaya and hosts Kerala in group A.
"We've had good practice sessions. We will look to win each game step-by-step and will be looking to win the trophy," Bengal captain Chakladar said.
"This tournament is very prestigious to everyone. We are also looking forward to the start of the tournament," Punjab Coach Hardeep Singh said.
In the second group A fixture on Saturday, Kerala will take on Rajasthan at the Manjeri Payyanad Stadium here and the hosts coach Bino George Chiramal Padinjarathala sounded ecstatic.
"We know the responsibility that the Santosh Trophy brings with it. There is a massive fan following of the sport. We have the responsibility of performing for our fans," he said.
The group B features Gujarat, Karnataka, Odisha, Services and Manipur.
The top two teams from each group will proceed to the semi-finals, which will take place on April 28 and April 29, while the final is slated at the Manjeri Payyanaad on May 2.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)