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All roads converge in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as four teams – Punjab, Services, Karnataka, and Meghalaya – alight from their flights at the King Khalid International Airport to fight it out at the business end of the Santosh Trophy.
The buzz is in the air for all the four sides, as they prepare to etch their names in the history books of this legacy competition.
The Santosh Trophy’s Arabian tale will get underway at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh and Punjab and Meghalaya will be the first to grace the hallowed turf, when they cross swords on Wednesday, March 1 at 5.30pm IST, followed by the second semifinal, where Services will take on Karnataka at 9pm IST at the same venue.
The two losing semifinalists will face each other in the 3rd Place Match at the King Fahd International Stadium, which will kick-off on March 4 at 6pm IST, with the final being played the following day at the same venue at 9pm IST.
MG Ramachandran, Head Coach of Services team said after landing in Riyadh, “The whole team is very excited to be a part of this historic tournament. We have come prepared to give our best in the semifinals and eye the trophy next. We want to go home with our prize.”
“It’s a wonderful feeling. Everyone is excited and gearing up for the semifinal match. I can see that the boys are going to experience something very different,” Khlain Syiemlieh, head coach of Meghalaya team said.
Meanwhile, Punjab head coach Harpreet Saini believes that this tournament will serve as an important step forward for the development of the players and said, “Everyone is so thrilled to have come to Riyadh and participate in the Santosh Trophy. It’s the time to be focussed on the job, what we are here for.”
Karnataka head coach Ravi Babu Raju said, “This is a very important tournament and we are delighted to be here. It’s the first time ever that any team will be playing the Santosh Trophy on a foreign soil which is surely an historic moment. It’s time to show what everyone is capable of.”
