Jaipur's ace forward Mukesh Choudhary will captain the Rajasthan state football team in the upcoming Santosh Trophy National Football Championship. The All India Football Federation organizes this prestigious tournament. It is scheduled to run from January 21 to February 8 in Dibrugarh, Assam.
Team Arrives in Dibrugarh
The Rajasthan Football Association secretary, Dilip Singh Shekhawat, confirmed the team's arrival in Dibrugarh on Monday. The squad traveled to Assam ready for competition. Rajasthan earned its spot in the final round after a strong performance in the Group I qualification stage last month.
Qualification Victory
Rajasthan secured qualification by winning matches at the Vidhyadhar Nagar Stadium in Jaipur. The team defeated formidable opponents Maharashtra and Gujarat. This victory propelled them into the national championship's final round.
League Match Schedule
Rajasthan will open its campaign against Uttarakhand on Wednesday. Under Mukesh Choudhary's leadership, the team faces a challenging series of league matches. The schedule includes games against Tamil Nadu on January 23, West Bengal on January 25, Assam on January 28, and Nagaland on January 30.
Preparation and Send-Off
Before departing for Assam, the team underwent intensive training at Jaipur's Royal Football Ground. Coach Narendra Singh Rathore supervised the training camp. Players received a warm send-off ceremony on Sunday.
Officials presented the squad with new playing kits during the event. Several dignitaries attended the send-off. Notable attendees included Rajasthan Football Association women's wing chairperson Roshni Tak and former national player Ram Singh Shekhawat.
Other distinguished guests included former national player Brigadier Jitendra Singh Shekhawat, former Gujarat minister Chandan Singh Champawat, Jodhpur secretary Dinesh Singh Chauhan, team manager Sunil Rao, and social worker Bhavani Singh Bhati. Various RFA officials also participated in the ceremony.
Full Squad and Support Staff
Rajasthan Football Squad:
- Mukesh Choudhary (captain)
- Altaf, Vishal, Aman Tyagi, Ankit, Saurabh Chhetri, Yash, Saurabh, Ishaan, Amit, Milan, Adnan, Dushyant, Rahul Ojha (vice-captain), Mohit, Aditya, Rahul, Himmat, Krishna, Shubham, Amanklal, Mandeep
Support Staff:
- Manager: Sunil Rao
- Coaches: Narendra Singh Rathore, Dinesh Singh, Lavkesh
- Physio: Dr. Kuldeep Meel
The team now focuses on its opening match against Uttarakhand. Football fans across Rajasthan eagerly await the squad's performance in this national championship.
