Santosh Trophy: Karnataka hoping to end 5-decade-long drought, says coach Ravi Babu Raju

Reaching the final of a tournament or ending a title drought stretching to five decades is no mean matter. Karnataka face that onerous task when they take on six-time champion former champions Services in the second semifinal of the 76th National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy, here on Wednesday.

Karnataka have won the title four times as Mysore State in the 1960s, their last title coming in 1968-69. They have finished runners-up on five occasions but not once since their last win. They made it to the semifinals four times in the last decade but have stumbled in the last-four stage every time.

“Ok, I do understand. Service is a good team, every team which has come over here for the semifinals is a very good team. So we don’t underestimate any team over here. But according to that, our team is far better than the dominating team.

We have a very good side of young and experienced players and as you said that Karnataka has not won Santosh Trophy for many years, maybe I think in 50 years. So this year we are very confident. Our team is very confident that we are going to win the Santosh Trophy,” said Karnataka head coach Ravi Babu Raju on the eve of the key clash with Services at the King Fahd International Stadium here.

Asked how he will motivate his players when they play on foreign soil in a stadium with 30,000 to 40,000 people.

“It’s usually very good if you play with a big crowd, you get motivated. But apart from that, as a player and as a coach, you don’t concentrate on that. You concentrate on the field. That’s very important. So playing on the field is very important,” said coach Raju.

Skipper Karthik Govindswamy said that playing in Saudi Arabia will not be a distraction for his players.

“It doesn’t matter who we are playing or where we are playing. We are not distracted by the fact that we are playing in Saudi Arabia. We are not here for a trip to take a holiday. We are here to win the trophy and that’s what we will be trying to do,” said the Karnataka captain, who said they are aware of the state’s title drought. But what gives them hope is the fact that they have reached the semifinals in the last four editions.

-IANS

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