Ashraf Vengat
Riyadh: In the final of the 76th Santosh Trophy football tournament held in Riyadh, Karnataka defeated Meghalaya by three goals to two goals to seal the first Santosh Trophy held abroad. After 54 years, the team will reach Bengaluru from Riyadh with the Santosh Trophy.
In the final match at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Karnataka moved Meghalaya’s goal circle in the second minute of the game. Number two player Sunil Kumar converted a pass from the left side of the field. Meghalaya’s Brolington Warlerpi scored a penalty in the eighth minute of the first half to equalise, but Karnataka took the lead through Beke Oram in the 18th minute. Again in the 43rd minute, Karnataka’s number three Taram Robin Yadav took Meghalaya’s goal with a beautiful long ranger in the free kick.
Steen Stevenson scored Meghalaya’s second goal in the fifty-ninth minute of the second half of the game. Both the teams played well but the movements of both the teams were rough at times. Meghalaya’s few advances were saved by Karnataka goalie Satyajith Bordollai with a beautiful diving save. An impressive move by Meghalaya in the final seconds went wide of the goal post.
More football fans came to the stadium to watch the final than the semi-finals, but the 68,000-seat King Fahd Stadium was confined to only one corner. Most of the spectators were Malayalees. As part of the campaign on the last day, Ambassador Dr. Suhail Ajaskhan also reached the stadium. The ambassador distributed the trophy to the winners.
Along with the Indian Embassy, the Indian Football Association in Riyadh and the Lulu Hypermarket Group spearheaded the campaign activities on the final day. Indian Football Association Technical Committee Chairman Shakeel Tiroorkad said that he was able to bring many Malayalees to the stadium for the final and as soon as he got the information, he tried to send a message to the Indian community from within the limits. Riyadh Indian Football Patron Mujeeb Uppada also told ‘Chandrika’ that 90 percent of those who came to the stadium were Malayalis and many came from Riyadh and the Eastern Province.