Bengal, who have won the Santosh Trophy for 32 times, begin their campaign on Saturday morning when they take on Punjab in a Group A match at Malappuram in Kerala.
The National Football Championship is returning after two years, and will see 10 teams, who have been divided in two groups of five teams each, vying for the coveted title. The top two from each group will proceed to the semi-finals, which will take place on April 28-29. The final is slated for May 2.
Bengal coach Ranjan Bhattacherjee said: “We hope to perform to the best of our abilities as the tournament progresses and will give our best to win the title.”
Captain Monotosh Chakladar added: “We are having good practice sessions. We have come here (Malappuram) to perform.”
In the second Group A fixture, hosts Kerala take on Rajasthan. “We know the responsibility that the Santosh Trophy brings with it. There is a massive following of the sport in Kerala. We have the duty of performing for our fans,” said Kerala coach Bino George.
