4 months ago
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Santosh Trophy is inactive the ‘Holy Grail’ for shot fans successful Kerala. As the 79th edition of the National title begins successful Assam, possibly nary squad volition consciousness the unit much than last-year’s runner-up Kerala, seeking its archetypal rubric since 2022.
Shafeeq Hassan, who has struck gold successful his caller stints arsenic manager with Kerala (National Games) and Kannur Warriors (Super League Kerala), has been tasked to bring the trophy backmost to Kerala.
Shafeeq, who worked arsenic adjunct manager of Kannur Warriors, has picked 21 players who chopped their teeth in SLK. “SLK was a bully level for the players to showcase their talent. It was highly competitory and of precocious standard. It was a no-brainer that players who did good in SLK would beryllium an automatic prime for the State team,” helium said.
The Kerala squad is undergoing its last mentation in Wayanad to acclimatise to the acold and precocious altitude conditions which volition face the squad in Dhakuakhana and Dhemaji. Kerala is drawn alongside Railways, Services, Punjab, Meghalaya and Odisha successful Group B.
“We are successful the last stages of our preparation. The squad has played a fewer signifier games and the boys are upbeat and looking guardant to the challenge. We person been grooming in Wayanad for the past fewer weeks. It is important for the boys to get a consciousness of the conditions they volition get successful Assam.
“As a manager it is important for maine not to fto the players consciousness the pressure. I person told the boys not to interest astir unit and we should ore connected doing things successful our power properly. The cardinal is to execute our crippled plans to perfection. We volition beryllium flexible successful our formations depending connected the opposition,” said Shafeeq.
