Santosh Trophy 2022: Kerala Beat West Bengal to Win the Title in Penalty Shootout

By beating West Bengal in the final match, Kerala won the title of the Santosh Trophy 2022 for the seventh time with a score of 5-4 in the penalty shootout. Kerala won the trophy for the third time on its home soil. Earlier, they had won two editions in Kochi, in 1973-74 and 1992-93. 

The 75th edition of the Santosh Trophy 2022 was held at the Manjeri Stadium in Malappuram, Kerala. 

The teams were level 1-1 after extra time in a pulsating encounter in which plenty of chances was created at both ends with the finishing being astray.

The Santosh Trophy is a knock-out semi-professional football competition contested by the state associations and government institutions under the All-India Football Federation (AIFF), the sport's governing body in India. It is officially known as the ‘Hero Senior Men's National Football Championship’ due to sponsorship ties with Hero MotoCorp. The tournament was started in 1941 by Indian Football Association (IFA).

   Important points for the exam:

• Kerala won the title of the 75th edition of the Santosh Trophy 2022 - a football tournament - for the seventh time at the Manjeri Stadium in Malappuram, Kerala.
• Kerala won the championship by defeating West Bengal with a score of 5-4 in the penalty shootout in the final match.
• This is the third win of the team on their home soil. They won the matches in 1973-74 and 1992-93 previously.
• The teams were level 1-1 after extra time in a pulsating encounter in which plenty of chances was created at both ends with the finishing being astray.

   Facts to know:

• Santosh Trophy was started in 1941 for the first time.
• It is officially known as Hero Senior Men's National Football Championship due to sponsorship ties with Hero MotoCorp.
• The most successful team in this tournament: West Bengal - won 32 titles.