AIFF announces new formats for Santosh Trophy, Women’s National Championship
- AIFF secretary-general Shaji Prabhakaran, who is in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), joined representatives of the state football associations in a virtual meeting
- The two senior national football championships, in the new format, will witness 36 States fight it out across six groups for a berth in the final round, the AIFF stated in a media release
- Railways and Services will get direct entry into the Santosh Trophy final rounds, while Railways will get direct entry to the women’s nationals final round
The new governors of national football in India are moving faster than expected in conceiving and implementing changes in the national football championships. A fortnight after revealing that the knockout stages of the Santosh Trophy will be played in Saudi Arabia next year, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has announced changes in the format for men’s and women’s senior national football championships.
The AIFF conducted the groupings for the 76th Hero Senior Men’s National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy and the Hero Senior Women’s National Football Championships at the Football House in New Delhi on Friday. AIFF secretary-general Shaji Prabhakaran, who is in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), joined representatives of the state football associations in a virtual meeting.
The two senior national football championships, in the new format, will witness 36 States fight it out across six groups for a berth in the final round, the AIFF stated in a media release.
“With the new competitive structure for the senior national championships, we can expect value addition in many aspects of the game at the State level,” said Shaji Prabhakaran.
The six group toppers, along with three best second-placed teams, will qualify for the final rounds of the Santosh Trophy, while six group toppers, and the four best second-placed teams will make it to the final rounds of the women’s senior nationals.
Railways and Services will get direct entry into the Santosh Trophy final rounds, while Railways will get direct entry to the women’s nationals final round.
The final round will be played in a round robin format – featuring the two groups of six teams each.
The 36 State football associations have been invited to bid for the hosting rights of the group stages and the final rounds.
The semi-finals and final of the Santosh Trophy will be held in Saudi Arabia.
Groupings for the Santosh Trophy
Group I: Karnataka, Delhi, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Tripura, Leh & Ladakh.
Group II: Kerala, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir.
Group III: Goa, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland.
Group IV: West Bengal, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Daman & Dadra, Haryana.
Group V: Meghalaya, Odisha, Sikkim, Telangana, Pondicherry, Andaman & Nicobar.
Group VI: Punjab, Manipur, Jharkhand, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Lakshadweep.
Groupings for Senior Women’s Nationals
Group I: Haryana, Punjab, Sikkim, Telangana, Meghalaya, Nagaland.
Group II: Mizoram, Maharashtra, Kerala, Pondicherry, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh.
Group III: Odisha, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tripura.
Group IV: Jharkhand, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Leh & Ladakh.
Group V: Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Daman & Dadra, Uttar Pradesh, Lakshadweep.
Group VI: Manipur, Assam, Karnataka, Gujarat, Bihar, Andaman & Nicobar.
