Last Sunday evening, the
atmosphere around Bambolim was
palpable, and tense beyond belief.
Goa, who had thus far won the
Santosh Trophy all of five times, were
on the hunt for their next win…number
six. However, they were up against
31-time winners, West Bengal, and this
just wasn’t to be the host team’s year.
Goa went on to lose to West Bengal
in extra time by a solitary goal in the
119th minute.
However, there is greater
introspection to be done. The Santosh
Trophy is no longer as big a draw as
it once was. The All India Football
Federation (AIFF) in its terms and
conditions of eligibility for players
has particularly said that they should
not be registered with any I-League
clubs at the time of registration
(ART.4 – 1.6). This in turn has ensured
that the big names are no longer a
part of the event. This has resulted in
smaller crowds turning up to cheer
the team, apart from the final, where
the stands were full long before
kick-off. However, when it came to
matches, the seats were available in
a larger number, which has even led
to FIFA’s inspection committee raising
concerns while doing research for the
upcoming Under-17 Football World
Cup. A similar observation was made
last year, during the AFC Under-16
Football Championship. If a side that
resonates with the crowd isn’t playing,
attendance is usually poor.
A large chunk of this has been
attributed by many to the ISL, which
has become nearly the be-all-andend-
all of Goan football in the last few
years. This has led to lower attendance
at other football tournaments, as the
crowds miss the fanfare that only
the ISL can provide. For instance, the
I-League is played to vacant stands.
However, if the finals of the Santosh
Trophy are any indicator of passion,
the love for the game is alive and
well, and one can hope that it spreads
across all platforms.
