With the host of the 67th Santosh Trophy Football Championship to be announced in a week, the All-India Football Federation (AIFF) officials are in Kerala on a two-day visit to inspect the preparedness of the proposed venues.
On Sunday, AIFF competition manager Sanjay Kumar visited University Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium in Kollam and the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Kochi.
On Monday, he is slated to visit the new stadium in Manjery, Malappuram, and the EMS Stadium in Kozhikode, said Kerala Football Association secretary P Anil Kumar.
“KFA is prepared to host the Santosh Trophy this season.
The main venues are in good condition and we will get the practice venues ready on time, if the tournament is allotted to Kerala. The AIFF is expected to make a decision within a week,” Anil said.
As per KFA’s plans, the cluster matches are to be held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Malappuram and Kozhikode in the first half of January. After the India-England One-day International is staged on January 15, the quarterfinal league, semifinals and the final will be held at the JN Stadium, Kochi.
The entire tournament can be completed before the inaugural Celebrity Cricket League match on February 9, the KFA secretary said.
However, the decision on the venue and the exact schedule is in the AIFF’s hands, he added. Uttar Pradesh is the other state in contention to host the national football championship this season.
