After an intensive month-long preparatory camp, the Karnataka state football team is poised to make a deep run in the upcoming Santosh Trophy national championship. The hosts will kick off their campaign on home turf at the Bengaluru Football Stadium this Saturday, December 20.
Group H Challenge Awaits
The opening match for Karnataka will be against the island team of Lakshadweep in the second fixture of the day. While the former champions are heavily favored to win this encounter, the margin of victory could prove crucial for the final group standings. The real test for the relatively young squad, however, will commence two days later.
On December 22, Karnataka faces a formidable Services side, the champions from two years ago. The group stage will conclude with a high-stakes clash against Goa on Christmas Eve, December 24. All matches are scheduled for a 3 PM start.
Title-Winning Coach Returns with Confidence
Steering the ship is head coach Ravi Babu Raju, the architect of Karnataka's historic triumph in 2023. Raju masterminded the ending of a 54-year title drought when the team lifted the trophy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Back at the helm, he expressed confidence in his team's readiness and prospects.
"We are ready after almost a one-month long camp," Raju stated in an interview. Acknowledging the tough road ahead, he added, "Not only Goa, but Services, who were champions two years back, will also give a tough fight."
New-Look Squad Carries Legacy Pressure
The squad is captained by FC Bengaluru United's Nikhil Raj Murugesh and boasts the firepower of India international striker Macarton Louis Nickson. Another player to watch is Shreyas Ketkar, who is reportedly attracting interest from Indian Super League club Bengaluru FC.
Despite the home advantage, the team carries the weight of expectation. The coach highlighted the pressure to improve on recent performances, noting, "We have not progressed out of the first round after winning in Saudi Arabia." He also pointed out that from the 2023 title-winning squad, only midfielder Karthik Govind Swamy remains, emphasizing the fresh challenge for the new group.
Raju, however, is bullish about the attacking options. "We have good strikers. The onus will be on Nickson but he will get enough support," he affirmed. The team and support staff list is as follows:
Karnataka Squad: Nikhil Raj Murugesh (captain), Sujay S, Sahil, Subrahmanian, Kiran Saravanan, Rajil Saji, Ajith Arasu, Arjun Gowda, Aby S, Aravind Babu G, Arun Kumar D, Karthik Govind Swamy, Vishal R, Manglenthang Singsit, Dhanush R, Shreyas Ketkar, Godwin Johnson, C Rohen Singh, Crispin C Cleetus, Macarton Louis Nickson.
Officials: Ravi Babu Raju (Head coach), Chinta Chandrashekar Rao (Asst coach), Bappaditya Bhattacharjee (Manager), S Rajan (Goalkeeping coach), Rohit Ravi Arakeri (Physio).
