West Bengal Wins 33rd Santosh Trophy Title

The Santosh Trophy, India’s premier football competition for state teams, continues to showcase the nation’s football talent and historical rivalries. In the 2024 edition, West Bengal reaffirmed its dominance by securing a record-extending 33rd title with a narrow 1-0 victory over Kerala in the final. Held at Gachibowli Stadium, the match saw Robi Hansda score the winning goal in added time, cementing his position as the tournament’s top scorer.

Key Highlights of Event

• Winning Team: West Bengal
• Runner-Up: Kerala
• Final Score: 1-0
• Goal Scorer: Robi Hansda
• Scored in added time of the second half.
• Registered his 12th goal of the tournament, emerging as the top scorer.
• Match Venue: Gachibowli Stadium

Crucial Moments

• Both teams displayed strong defense and attacking tactics.
• Bengal narrowly missed two free kicks in the 58th and 62nd minutes.
• Kerala’s late free kick after Bengal’s goal went over the crossbar.

Tournament Journey

• Both Bengal and Kerala won nine matches and drew one en route to the final.

History of Santosh Trophy

Background

• Founded: 1941
• Organizer: Initially managed by the Indian Football Association (IFA) and later by the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
• Named After: Sir Manmatha Nath Roy Chowdhury, Maharaja of Santosh.

Trophies for 2nd and 3rd Places

• Kamla Gupta Trophy (Runner-ups)
• Sampangi Cup (Third place)

Historical Milestones

• The tournament was introduced to provide a platform for state-level teams in India.
• The first edition was won by West Bengal (then Bengal) in 1941-42 by defeating Delhi.
• The Santosh Trophy became a national platform for showcasing talent from different states and institutions.

Notable Records

• Most Successful Team: West Bengal with 33 titles.
• Second-Most Successful Team: Punjab with 8 titles.
• Third-Most Successful Teams: Kerala and Services with 7 titles each.
• Longest Winning Streak: West Bengal won six consecutive titles between 1993 and 1999.
• First Institutional Winner: Services in 1960-61.
• Joint Winners: The only instance of joint winners was in the 1982-83 season, when West Bengal and Goa shared the title.
• First Overseas Final: The Santosh Trophy 2022-23 final was played in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where Karnataka defeated Meghalaya.