What is Santosh Trophy ? A Legendary tournament of India from 1941!

In the vibrant tapestry of Indian football history, the Santosh Trophy stands as a testament to the passion and dedication that millions of players and fans have poured into the beautiful game. This prestigious tournament, named after Maharaja Sir Manmatha Nath Roy Chowdhary of Santosh, has a rich and enduring legacy that has left an indelible mark on the nation’s football landscape.

santosh-trophy-img

History of Santosh trophy

In the vibrant tapestry of Indian football history, the Santosh Trophy stands as a testament to the passion and dedication that millions of players and fans have poured into the beautiful game. This prestigious tournament, named after Maharaja Sir Manmatha Nath Roy Chowdhary of Santosh, has a rich and enduring legacy that has left an indelible mark on the nation’s football landscape.

santosh trophy

1) Unveiling of Santosh Trophy

The Santosh Trophy, an inter-state football tournament in India, was inaugurated in 1941, making it one of the oldest football tournaments in the country. Named after the Maharaja of Santosh, the trophy was instituted to promote the sport at the regional level and provide a platform for emerging talent to showcase their skills.

2) The Birth of a Footballing Tradition

In the early 1940s, the Santosh Trophy emerged as a unifying force as India’s football community was taking shape. It offered a unique opportunity for players from different states to compete against each other and share their diverse footballing cultures. The tournament’s inception marked the beginning of an enduring legacy that would celebrate the true spirit of Indian football.

3) State Rivalries and Intense Competition

One of the defining features of the Santosh Trophy has been the fierce rivalries between states. Each team’s deep-rooted desire to represent its region with pride and honor has fueled memorable clashes on the pitch. These battles have not only produced breathtaking moments but have also intensified the sense of unity and competition among the states.

4) The Santosh Trophy and Indian Football Development

The tournament’s impact extends beyond player development. It has acted as a catalyst for the growth of infrastructure, coaching systems, and fan engagement. The legacy of the Santosh Trophy is intertwined with the development of Indian football, shaping how the sport is played and perceived across the country.

Modern Santosh trophy

Later Santosh Trophy also called as National Football Championship because of sponsorship ties with Hero MotoCorp.

It played as a state-level national football tournament, in which state associations and government institutions are participating under the All India Football Federation (AIFF), a football governing body in India.

Before the beginning of the national club league, which started in the time period of 1996, the Santosh Trophy was dominating as the top-level tournament in India. Many football players who have represented India internationally, played the tournament and gained honor while playing in the Santosh Trophy.

The tournament is conducted every year with eligible teams who are divided into zones, firstly played in the qualifying round and then progress into the tournament proper. The current champions of the Tournament are Karnataka, who won their title after 54 years during 2022–23.

This was the first major achievement for Karnataka, which had previously won four times as the princely state of Mysore, after 1968-69.

new santosh trophy logo

1) Current team that play Santosh trophy

There are 39 teams that participate in the national football championship, below is the list of all the team’s names for the Santosh trophy:-

  1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
  2. Andhra Pradesh
  3. Arunachal Pradesh
  4. Assam
  5. Bihar
  6. Chandigarh
  7. Chhattisgarh
  8. Delhi
  9. Goa
  10. Gujarat
  11. Haryana
  12. Himachal Pradesh
  13. Jammu and Kashmir
  14. Dadra and Nagar Haveli
  15. Daman and Diu
  16. Jharkhand
  17. Karnataka
  18. Kerala
  19. Ladakh
  20. Lakshadweep
  21. Madhya Pradesh
  22. Maharashtra
  23. Manipur
  24. Meghalaya
  25. Mizoram
  26. Nagaland
  27. Odisha
  28. Puducherry
  29. Punjab
  30. Rajasthan
  31. Railways
  32. Services
  33. Sikkim
  34. Tamil Nadu
  35. Telangana
  36. Tripura
  37. Uttar Pradesh
  38. Uttarakhand
  39. West Bengal

2) Most Title Winner and runner's up

 Bengal/West Bengal make a record of winning the most title in total stands for winning 32 titles and 14 times as runner-up. Punjab comes in second position with 8 title wins and 8 times as runner-up. below is a table of further records of the Santosh trophy.

TeamWinsRunner-up
West Bengal3214
Punjab88
Kerala68
Services65
Goa 58
Karnataka55
Maharastra412
Railways36
Hyderabad22
Andhra Pradesh11
Delhi 11
Manipur 11
Mizoram10
Tamil Nadu02
Meghalaya01

3) Santosh trophy Winner list

Here is the winner list of Santosh trophies from 1941 to 2022, you can check in between the year, when, which team won and came runner-up. Below is the winner’s list and runner-up list in a single table.

SeasonWinner-TeamRunner-up
1941-42West BengalDelhi
1942-43––
1943-44––
1944-45DelhiWest Bengal
1945-46West BengalMaharashtra
1946-47KarnatakaWest Bengal
1947-48West BengalMaharashtra
1948-49––
1949-50West BengalHyderabad
1950-51West BengalHyderabad
1951-52West BengalMaharashtra
1952-53KarnatakaWest Bengal
1953-54West BengalKarnataka
1954-55MaharashtraServices
1955-56West BengalKarnataka
1956-57HyderabadMaharashtra
1957-58HyderabadMaharashtra
1958-59West BengalService
1959-60West BengalMaharashtra
1960-61ServicesWest Bengal
1961-62RailwaysMaharashtra
1962-63West BengalKarnataka
1963-64MaharashtraAndhra Pradesh
1964-65RailwaysWest Bengal
1965-66Andhra PradeshWest Bengal
1966-67RailwaysServices
1967-68KarnatakaWest Bengal
1968-69KarnatakaWest Bengal
1969-70West BengalServices
1970-71PunjabKarnataka
1971-72West BengalRailways
1972-73West BengalTamil Nadu
1973-74KeralaRailways
1974-75PunjabWest Bengal
1975-76West BengalKarnataka
1976-77West BengalMaharashtra
1977-78West BengalPunjab
1978-79West BengalGoa
1979-80West BengalPunjab
1980-81PunjabRailways
1981-82West BengalRailways
1982-83West Bengal and Goa–
1983-84GoaPunjab
1984-85PunjabMaharashtra
1985-86PunjabWest Bengal
1986-87West BengalRailways
1987-88PunjabKerala
1988-89West BengalKerala
1989-90GoaKerala
1990-91MaharashtraKerala
1991-92KeralaGoa
1992-93KeralaMaharashtra
1993-94West BengalKerala
1994-95West BengalPunjab
1995-96West BengalGoa
1996-97West BengalGoa
1997-98West BengalGoa
1998-99West BengalGoa
1999-00MaharashtraKerala
2000-01––
2001-02KeralaGoa
2002-03ManipurKerala
2003-04––
2004-05KeralaPunjab
2005-06GoaMaharashtra
2006-07PunjabWest Bengal
2007-08PunjabServices
2008-09GoaWest Bengal
2009-10West BengalPunjab
2010-11West BengalManipur
2011-12ServicesTamil Nadu
2012-13ServicesKerala
2013-14MizoramRailways
2014-15ServicesPunjab
2015-16ServicesMaharashtra
2016-17West BengalGoa
2017-18KeralaWest Bengal
2018-19ServicesPunjab
2019-20––
2020-21––
2021-22KeralaWest Bengal
2022-23KarnatakaMeghalaya

 

Santosh-trophy 2022-23

In this year it was the first time that the finals of the tournament are out of the country, it has conducted in Riyadh, a beautiful city in Saudi Arabia, the luckiest team to play in finals are the Karnataka and Meghalaya, and between their clash the winner is Karnataka with 3 goals and Meghalaya are just 1 goal behind to make it draw.

In this season there are 36 teams, in which the individual award are taken by the players of Kerala, Karnataka, and Meghalaya.

  • The Best player is awarded to Robin Yadav from Karnataka team.
  • The Best Goalkeeper is awarded to Rajat Paul Lyngdoh from Meghalaya.
  • The Top scorer is awarded to Naro Hari Shrestha and Nijo Joseph, both scored 9 goals for their team.

 

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