| From Manjeri to Madrid, a fan-tastic experience The vuvuzelas droned, relentlessly. The full house (depending on whom you spoke to, figures varied from 26,000 to 30,000) also had drums whipping up enthusiasm. There was a perceptible drop in decibels in the 97th minute but it picked up as the crowd realised that the home team needed their backing like never before in the 75th iteration of the Santosh Trophy. It would be preposterous if they let Dilip Orawn's goal for Bengal decide the outcome of this edgy, hard-fought final of a competition paused since 2019 because of Covid-19. As it turned out, Kerala levelled scores through Muhammed Safnad in the 116th minute and then beat the 32-time champions in the shootout; the home team's players showing remarkable poise in that heaving, steaming cauldron that the stadium in Manjeri was to convert all five shots. Happiness spilled on to the pitch after Kerala won 6 (1)-5(1). The invasion felt like a release of emotions building up over the past 17 days. There were hugs and high fives and soon after, IM Vijayan, Kerala's greatest footballer and one of India's all-time best, was spotted on the turf. He seemed happy just to be a fan.  A victorious Team Kerala (Kerala FA) This battle for inter-state supremacy is not a patch on what it used to be. Players from the Indian Super League (ISL) and I-League are not allowed to take part and each squad must have five under-21 players. Even though the under-21 players' rule is likely to change from next season, this is now a competition for emerging talent. Manvir Singh was one till his performance in 2017, including the goal for Bengal in the final, fast-tracked his rise. That could happen to Jesin TK who finished with nine goals, the highest in the competition, five of them coming in the semi-final against Karnataka. Or Priyant Singh. Or Bibin Ajayan. Or Jijo Joseph. Yet, Kerala reacted like it was the acme of football in India. Matches were played to packed houses (of course, Kerala's good run helped draw in the crowd) even on week nights proving how central football is to Kerala's way of life. This is a sport for which people travel for hours to catch a game. This is a state where seven-a-side football is a cottage industry, one that even spawned the touching film, 'Sudani From Nigeria'. It has been that way despite clubs folding up regularly till Kerala Blasters and Gokulam Kerala hit the scene. In the 1990s, bleachers spilling over onto the sidelines and moving onto the pitch to watch shootouts were so common that, to the shock and awe of the visiting team, the 1997 Nehru Cup semi-final between India and Iraq in Kochi was played with people sat everywhere except the substitutes' benches. Ditto the 1996 Federation Cup final between East Bengal and JCT. With Kerala winning their seventh Santosh Trophy, Gokulam Kerala on way to retaining the I-League crown, their women's team staying in contention to keep the women's national league title and Kerala Blasters being ISL runners-up, there is no disputing the state's pre-eminent status. Which is why, for the next few years at least, the Santosh Trophy should find a permanent home in Manjeri. "Left to me, that venue should be hosting the Santosh Trophy for the next three years," said an official of the All India Football Federation (AIFF). "But many state associations are going to oppose," the official said, requesting anonymity given the sensitive nature of the issue. "That is because most would want to host the Santosh Trophy," said Shaji Prabhakaran, president Football Delhi. It is a competition that can boost the profile of the state hosting it, get the state government to invest in football and make the sport attractive to young boys and girls, he said. A former Fifa Development Officer for South and Central Asia, an MBA and a Phd in physical education and sport, and the author of a book on grassroots and football development, Prabhakaran is more qualified than most to speak on football in India. For him the Kerala experience was an "accident, just like it was with Mizoram winning in 2014, the government of the day declaring a state holiday to commemorate the event." That is exactly how it shouldn't be, he said. "The Santosh Trophy can add value. AIFF needs to have a plan targeting areas where it can be hosted and have a qualification cycle where all teams in a zone play each other." Now teams in each zone are divided into groups. "That can be a disincentive to spend on building a good team because you can be out after two games," said Prabhakaran. "The ISL and I-League can have only 1000-odd players. For India to have an adequate players' pool, we need to at least 10,000 footballers so obviously, the leagues can't be our only platform. The Santosh Trophy can help in giving more players a chance to play. AIFF needs to have a proper calendar with a slot for Santosh Trophy, ensure that it is broadcast (it was streamed this time). Otherwise, we will continue to have hits and misses," he said. Even in the way it is, this competition can be made to matter and not staged as an after-thought. Manjeri is proof of that. | 
