Raring to go: Captains Rajat Kumar (Punjab), Fullmoon Mukhim (Meghalaya), Karthik Govind Swamy (Karnataka), Bhabindra Malla Thakuri (Services) pose with the trophy.
| Photo Credit: Special association
Eight-time champion Punjab and six-time title winner Services lead the problem in the 2 semifinals because the National males’s soccer championship for the Santosh Trophy finds a brand new locale on the King Fahd International Stadium right here on Wednesday.
This is an effort from All India Football Federation to use its newly cast strategic partnership with the Saudi Arabia Football Federation in retrieving the competitors from its current situation of ailment.
Punjab, which final received the crown beating Services in the ultimate in Srinagar 15 years in the past (2007-08), can have newcomer Meghalaya as its opposition in the primary semifinal. Services, the champion of the 2018-19 season, will meet Karnataka in the opposite conflict to succeed in the title spherical.
Having received the crown final as Mysore 54 years in the past, Karnataka will probably be desperate to reclaim its misplaced stature as one of many hubs of Indian soccer. Meghalaya, which is quick rising because the nursery of soccer abilities in the nation, can have the chance to claim itself in a giant method in the seniors’ area.
Arriving a few days earlier than the semifinals, the 4 groups had intense periods on Tuesday on the apply amenities provided at King Fahd and Prince Faisal Stadiums. The climate appears to be simply superb for a great contest on the desert kingdom because the temperature is hovering round cooler ranges, particularly in the night when each the semifinals will probably be held.
The coaches of the 4 sides exuded confidence and hoped for a great outing of their respective sides.
“I think all the four teams that have qualified for the semifinals overcame intense competition in the group-league stage of the quarterfinals. The contest in the semifinals will be interesting as all the teams are quite equal in strength,” stated the Punjab coach and former India worldwide Harjinder Singh.
