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Santosh Trophy

{{about|the men's competition|the women's competition|Rajmata Jijabai Trophy}}{{Short description|Association football tournament in India}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}

{{Use Indian English|date=December 2016}}

{{infobox football tournament

| name = Santosh Trophy

| image = National Football Championship.svg

| organiser = AIFF

| founded = {{Start date and age|1941}}

| region = India

| number of teams = {{ubl|Group stage: 36|Final round: 12}}

| related comps = National Games

| confed cup = Asian Champion Club Tournament (1967–71)

| current champions = {{nowrap|West Bengal (33rd title)}}

| most successful team = {{nowrap|West Bengal (33 titles)}}

| broadcasters = {{URL|https://ssen.co/|SSEN}} (online streaming)
SportsKPI
SportsCast India
Prasar Bharati Sports
(YouTube)

| website = {{URL|https://www.the-aiff.com/competitions/senior-nfc|Senior NFC}}

| current = 2024–25 Santosh Trophy

}}

The National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy,{{Cite web|title=Hero Senior NFC|url=https://www.the-aiff.com/competitions/senior-nfc|access-date=2021-12-05|website=the-aiff.com|archive-date=5 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205090635/https://www.the-aiff.com/competitions/senior-nfc|url-status=live}} or simply Santosh Trophy, is an inter-state national football competition contested by the state associations and government institutions under the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the sport's governing body in India.{{Cite web|first=Novy|last=Kapadia|url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/memorable-moments-in-the-santosh-trophy-2|website=sportskeeda.com|publisher=Sportskeeda|date=27 May 2012|access-date=7 March 2021|title=Memorable moments in the Santosh Trophy|archive-date=12 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412140304/https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/memorable-moments-in-the-santosh-trophy-2}} Before the launch of the first national club league, the National Football League in 1996, the Santosh Trophy was considered the top domestic tournament in India.{{cite news|last1=Anand|first1=Vijay|title=The history of Santosh Trophy|url=http://www.sportskeeda.com/football/the-history-of-santosh-trophy|access-date=18 December 2016|work=SportsKeeda|date=16 March 2014|archive-date=21 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221072134/http://www.sportskeeda.com/football/the-history-of-santosh-trophy|url-status=live}} Many players who have represented India internationally, played in the Santosh Trophy.{{cite news|title=The rise and fall of the Santosh Trophy|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-santosh-trophy/|access-date=18 December 2016|work=The Indian Express|date=12 March 2014|archive-date=20 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220224751/http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-santosh-trophy/|url-status=live}} The tournament is held every year with eligible teams divided into zones, play in the qualifying round and can progress into the tournament proper.{{cite news|title=70th Santosh Trophy|url=http://thif-live.com/santosh-trophy-2015-16/|access-date=18 December 2016|work=The Indian Football Live|archive-date=20 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220154129/http://thif-live.com/santosh-trophy-2015-16/|url-status=live}}

The tournament was started in 1941 by the Indian Football Association (IFA), which was the then de facto governing body of football in India. It was named after the former president of the IFA, Sir Manmatha Nath Roy Chowdhury, the Maharaja of Santosh who had died aged 61 in 1939.{{cite book |last=Majumdar, Boria |first=Bandyopadhyay, Kausik |date=1 February 2006 |title=Goalless: The Story of a Unique Footballing Nation |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i55oAAAACAAJ |location=New Delhi |publisher=Penguin India |isbn=9780670058747 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220408140616/https://books.google.co.in/books/about/Goalless_the_Story_of_a_Unique_Footballi.html?id=i55oAAAACAAJ&redir_esc=y |archive-date=8 April 2022}}[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=nrE-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=QkwMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6023%2C180366 Maharaja of Santosh dead] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221224173614/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=nrE-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=QkwMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6023,180366 |date=24 December 2022 }}, Indian Express, 1 April 1939, p. 15

The IFA later donated the Santosh Trophy to the AIFF, soon after its formation as the sport's official governing body in India, and since then AIFF has been organising the tournament. The trophy for the runner-up, Kamala Gupta Trophy, was also donated by the then president of IFA, Dr. S.K. Gupta, and it was named in honour of his wife.{{cite web|title=List of Winners/Runners-Up of the Santosh Trophy|url=http://www.indianfootball.de/data/santosh.html|website=IndianFootball.de|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190313090934/http://www.indianfootball.de/data/santosh.html|archive-date=13 March 2019}} The third-place trophy, Sampangi Cup, was donated by the Karnataka State Football Association (then Mysore Football Association) and was named so in the memory of a renowned footballer, Sampangi, who was from Mysore. Until 2018, the tournament was organised as an individual competition, but since 2021, the AIFF rebranded it as the men's senior tier of National Football Championship for the regional teams of various age groups. In September 2022, it was announced that the tournament will be organized on zonal basis.{{cite web |date=27 September 2022 |title=Six foreigners recommended for matchday squads as I-League returns on 29 Oct |url=https://www.news9live.com/sports/football/six-foreign-players-recommended-for-matchday-squads-as-i-league-returns-on-oct-29-198670 |access-date=27 September 2022 |website=news9live.com |first=Sayan |last=Mukherjee|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221008175503/https://www.news9live.com/sports/football/six-foreign-players-recommended-for-matchday-squads-as-i-league-returns-on-oct-29-198670 |archive-date=8 October 2022 }}

Background

File:SantoshTrophy Logo.jpg

The Santosh Trophy was started after the former presidents of the Indian Football Association, Manmatha Nath Roy Chowdhary of Santosh, and Satish Chandra Chowdhury, donated the trophy to the All India Football Federation.{{Cite web|first=Somnath|last=Sengupta|url=http://www.thehardtackle.com/2012/legends-of-indian-football-the-pioneers/|title=Legends of Indian Football : The Pioneers|website=thehardtackle.com|publisher=The Hard Tackle|date=24 April 2012|access-date=20 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026053626/http://www.thehardtackle.com/2012/legends-of-indian-football-the-pioneers/|archive-date=26 October 2017}} At the time of the first tournament, India lacked a proper championship for football teams. The other major nationwide football competitions at the time were the Durand Cup, Rovers Cup and IFA Shield. In 1990, in an attempt to bring through more younger players, the AIFF made the Santosh Trophy into an under-23 competition. This move only lasted for three seasons before the tournament was reverted to a senior competition.

During his time as the head coach of India, Bob Houghton called for the tournament to be discontinued and said that it was a waste of time and talent. He was more aggressive against the tournament after striker Sunil Chhetri injured himself in the 2009 Santosh Trophy and had to miss the Nehru Cup. As a result, national team players were not allowed to participate in the tournament, which was also eventually reverted. In 2013 the AIFF decided that players from the top-tier clubs would be barred from participating in the Santosh Trophy, but numerous members of reserve, academy and youth sides of the I-League and the Indian Super League participate in the tournament for game-time.{{cite news|title=AIFF mulling over Santosh Trophy's future|url=http://www.news18.com/footballnext/news/aiff-mulling-over-santosh-trophys-future-639494.html|access-date=18 December 2016|work=News 18|date=17 September 2013|archive-date=20 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220182421/http://www.news18.com/footballnext/news/aiff-mulling-over-santosh-trophys-future-639494.html|url-status=live}} The tournament is still regarded as a suitable platform for young players from the I-League 2, I-League 3, or State leagues to attract major clubs.{{cite web |last1=Raghunandan |first1=Vaibhav |title=Santosh Trophy: Where Indian Football's History and Its Future Reside |url=https://www.newsclick.in/santosh-trophy-where-indian-footballs-history-and-its-future-reside |website=NewsClick |date=24 April 2019 |access-date=31 March 2022 |archive-date=15 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210615155915/https://www.newsclick.in/santosh-trophy-where-indian-footballs-history-and-its-future-reside |url-status=live }}{{cite web|url=https://www.the-aiff.com/article/balai-dey-the-man-who-connects-india-pakistan-and-the-hero-santosh-trophy|title=Balai Dey: The man who connects India, Pakistan and the Hero Santosh Trophy|date=24 February 2023|access-date=24 February 2023|location=New Delhi|first=Sruti|last=Chakraborty|website=the-aiff.com|publisher=All India Football Federation|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230224114350/https://www.the-aiff.com/article/balai-dey-the-man-who-connects-india-pakistan-and-the-hero-santosh-trophy|archive-date=24 February 2023}}

Current teams

The following teams participate in the tournament as states, union territories and institutions.

{{div col|colwidth=25em}}

{{div col end}}

=Defunct teams=

  • Dacca (1944/45–1945/46)
  • Hyderabad (1944/45–1958/59)
  • Daman and Diu (until 2022/23)
  • Dadra and Nagar Haveli (until 2022/23)

Results

=Finals=

The following is the list of winners and runners-up from every edition of the Santosh Trophy{{cite web|title=Santosh Trophy Winners|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesi/indiasantoshhist.html|publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation|access-date=28 November 2013|archive-date=18 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210918131806/http://www.rsssf.com/tablesi/indiasantoshhist.html|url-status=live}}

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
Season

! Host city

!style="background:gold"|Winner

! Score

!style="background:silver"|{{nobr|Runner-up}}

1941–42align=left|KolkataBengal5–1Delhi
1944–45align=left|DelhiDelhi2–0Bengal
1945–46align=left|BombayBengal2–0Bombay
1946–47align=left|BangaloreMysore0–0, 2–1Bengal
1947–48align=left|KolkataBengal0–0, 1–0Bombay
1949–50align=left|KolkataBengal5–0Hyderabad
1950–51align=left|KolkataBengal1–0Hyderabad
1951–52align=left|BombayBengal1–0Bombay
1952–53align=left|BangaloreMysore1–0Bengal
1953–54align=left|KolkataBengal0–0, 3–1Mysore
1954–55align=left|MadrasBombay2–1Services
1955–56align=left|ErnakulamBengal1–0Mysore
1956–57align=left|TrivandrumHyderabad1–1, 4–1Bombay
1957–58align=left|HyderabadHyderabad3–1Bombay
1958–59align=left|MadrasBengal1–0Services
1959–60align=left|NowgongBengal3–1Bombay
1960–61align=left|KozhikodeServices0–0, 1–0Bengal
1961–62align=left|BombayRailways3–0Bombay
1962–63align=left|BangaloreBengal2–0Mysore
1963–64align=left|MadrasMaharashtra1–0Andhra Pradesh
1964–65align=left|GuwahatiRailways2–1Bengal
1965–66align=left|KollamAndhra Pradesh1–1, 1–0Bengal
1966–67align=left|HyderabadRailways0–0, 2–0Services
1967–68align=left|CuttackMysore1–0Bengal
1968–69align=left|BangaloreMysore0–0, 1–0Bengal
1969–70align=left|NowgongBengal6–1Services
1970–71align=left|JalandharPunjab1–1, 3–1Mysore
1971–72align=left|MadrasBengal4–1Railways
1972–73align=left|GoaBengal4–1Tamil Nadu
1973–74align=left|ErnakulamKerala3–2Railways
1974–75align=left|JalandharPunjab6–0Bengal
1975–76align=left|KozhikodeBengal0–0, 3–1Karnataka
1976–77align=left|PatnaBengal1–0Maharashtra
1977–78align=left|KolkataBengal1–1, 3–1Punjab
1978–79align=left|SrinagarBengal1–0Goa
1979–80align=left|CoimbatoreBengal1–0Punjab
1980–81align=left|CuttackPunjab0–0, 2–0Railways
1981–82align=left|ThrissurBengal2–0Railways
1982–83align=left|Kolkatacolspan="3"|Bengal and Goa (joint winners) – 0–0, 0–0
1983–84align=left|MadrasGoa1–0Punjab
1984–85align=left|KanpurPunjab3–0Maharashtra
1985–86align=left|JabalpurPunjab0–0 {{pso|4–1}}Bengal
1986–87align=left|CalcuttaBengal2–0Railways
1987–88align=left|KollamPunjab0–0 {{pso|5–4}}Kerala
1988–89align=left|GuwahatiBengal1–1 {{pso|4–3}}Kerala
1989–90align=left|MargaoGoa2–0Kerala
1990–91align=left|PalakkadMaharashtra1–0Kerala
1991–92align=left|CoimbatoreKerala3–0Goa
1992–93align=left|KochiKerala2–0Maharashtra
1993–94align=left|CuttackBengal2–2 {{pso|5–3}}Kerala
1994–95align=left|ChennaiBengal2–1 (a.s.d.e.t.)Punjab
1995–96align=left|MargaoBengal1–0Goa
1996–97align=left|JabalpurBengal1–0 (a.s.d.e.t.)Goa
1997–98align=left|GuwahatiBengal1–0Goa
1998–99align=left|ChennaiBengal5–0Goa
1999–00align=left|ThrissurMaharashtra3–2Kerala
2001–02align=left|MumbaiKerala3–2 (a.s.d.e.t.)Goa
2002–03align=left|ImphalManipur2–1 (a.s.d.e.t.)Kerala
2004–05align=left|DelhiKerala3–2Punjab
2005–06align=left|KochiGoa3–1 {{aet}}Maharashtra
2006–07align=left|GurgaonPunjab0–0 {{aet}} {{pso|5–3}}West Bengal
2007–08align=left|SrinagarPunjab1–0Services
2008–09align=left|ChennaiGoa0–0 {{aet}} {{pso|4–2}}West Bengal
2009–10align=left|KolkataWest Bengal2–1Punjab
2010–11align=left|GuwahatiWest Bengal2–1Manipur
2011–12align=left|OdishaServices3–2Tamil Nadu
2012–13align=left|KochiServices0–0 {{aet}} {{pso|4–3}}Kerala
2013–14align=left|SiliguriMizoram3–0Railways
2014–15align=left|LudhianaServices0–0 {{pso|5–4}}Punjab
2015–16align=left|NagpurServices2–1Maharashtra
2016–17align=left|GoaWest Bengal1–0Goa
2017–18align=left|KolkataKerala2–2 {{pso|4–2}}West Bengal
2018–19align=left|LudhianaServices1–0Punjab
2021–22align=left|ManjeriKerala1–1 {{pso|5–4}}West Bengal
2022–23align=left|{{flagicon|KSA}} RiyadhKarnataka3–2Meghalaya
2023–24align=left| Yupia

|Services

|1–0

|Goa

2024–25

|Hyderabad

|West Bengal

|1–0

|Kerala

=Final appearances=

class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
TeamWins{{nts|Runners-up}}{{nowrap|Last win}}
West Bengal / Bengal3314{{nowrap|2024–25}}
Punjab882007–08
Kerala792021–22
Services752023–24
Goa592008–09
Karnataka / Mysore552022–23
Maharashtra / Bombay4121999–00
Railways361966–67
Hyderabad221957–58
Andhra Pradesh / Andhra111965–66
Delhi111944–45
Manipur112002–03
Mizoram102013–14
Tamil Nadu / Madras02–
Meghalaya01–

Performance in Asian competitions

= [[AFC Champions League|Asian Champion Club Tournament]] =

class="wikitable"

! style="background:#1C39BC; color:white; text-align:center;" |Year

! style="background:#1C39BC; color:white; text-align:center;" |Team

! style="background:#1C39BC; color:white; text-align:center;" |Progress

! style="background:#1C39BC; color:white; text-align:center;" |Score

! style="background:#1C39BC; color:white; text-align:center;" |Opponents

! style="background:#1C39BC; color:white; text-align:center;" |Venue(s)

1967

|Railways

| style="background:lightgreen;" |Semi-finals

|W/O

|{{flagicon|Israel}} Hapoel Tel Aviv

|Withdrew

1969

|Mysore

| style="background:lightgreen;" |Fourth Place

|0–2

|{{flagicon|Japan}} Toyo Kogyo

|at Bangkok, Thailand

1970

|Bengal

|3rd in Group Stage

|N/A

| colspan="2" |{{flagicon|Israel}} Hapoel Tel Aviv, {{flagicon|Indonesia}} PSMS Medan, {{flagicon|Thailand}} Royal Thai Police

1971

|Punjab

|4th in Group Stage

|N/A

| colspan="2" | {{flagicon|Thailand}} Bangkok Bank, {{flagicon|Israel}} Maccabi Tel Aviv, {{flagicon|Iraq}} Aliyat Al-Shorta

See also

References

{{reflist}}

Further reading

  • {{Cite web |title=India's football past gasping for survival |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/football/india-s-football-past-gasping-for-survival/story-8cGyA03MIB3ay2LCflkcWJ.html |date=25 March 2018|work=Hindustan Times |last=Sarkar |first=Dhiman |location=Kolkata |access-date=16 April 2023 |archive-date=6 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220106201153/https://www.hindustantimes.com/football/india-s-football-past-gasping-for-survival/story-8cGyA03MIB3ay2LCflkcWJ.html }}
  • [https://bodopedia.com/football/santosh-trophy-2023-24-schedule/ Santosh Trophy 2023-23 Schedule]

{{Santosh Trophy}}

{{Football in India}}

{{Sports leagues of India}}

Category:Football cup competitions in India

Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1941

Category:1941 establishments in India