A first for India: Santosh Trophy now in Saudi Arabia

Panaji: India’s national championship could be played on foreign soil for the first time ever.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation to “deeply study” the possibility to stage the final stages of the National Football Championships for the Santosh Trophy in Riyadh and Jeddah next February.
Started in 1941, the Santosh Trophy was most important trophy in Indian football prior to the Federation Cup (1977) and the National Football League (1996).
“The Santosh Trophy has lost its sheen over the years as other tournaments and leagues have got prominence,” AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey told TOI after signing the MoU in Dammam on Thursday. “For many states, Santosh Trophy holds great significance. The national championship being played in Saudi Arabia will act as a huge motivation for states and players.”
Besides encouraging players, the idea to host the knock-out phase of Santosh Trophy in select cities of Saudi Arabia is to connect large Indian community in Saudi with Indian football and create a win-win situation for both the federations, the AIFF said.
The Final Round of the Santosh Trophy will have a total of 12 teams (10 qualifying states, along with the Services and the Railways).
In the Zonal stage, the states will be divided into seven groups of five to six teams each. The seven group toppers and three best second-placed teams will qualify for the Final Round.
The MoU with Saudi Arabia also involves international exposure for under-17 and under-19 teams. Besides Saudi, Kuwait, Thailand and Vietnam have been brought on board.
“The international exposure for our youth teams in Saudi Arabia will help us a great deal. We need our teams to play as many international competitions as possible, and to play against top teams is a huge bonus. I am sure that this MoU will take Indian football forward,” said Chaubey.
AIFF secretary general Shaji Prabhakaran said the “out-of-the-box idea will help Indian football to create a niche for itself among its loyal fans, who eagerly follow Indian football wherever they are.
“Our aim is to take Indian football forward and explore all possibilities. This move, we are confident, will inspire players from across the nation to showcase their performance in front of bigger audience,” said Prabhakaran.