IFA felicitates Santosh champion Bengal team

Kolkata: With stalwarts of the present and past in attendance, Indian Football Association (West Bengal) today felicitated Santosh Trophy champion Bengal team in a musical evening.

Cash awards poured in for Snehashish Chakraborty-captained Bengal side as they received Rs 25 lakh cash awards from different quarters. A star performance from Keralaite Denson Devadas helped Bengal bag their 30th Santosh Trophy with a 2-1 win over Punjab on August 8, a title that came after 11 years. Bengal Sports minister Kanti Ganguly was not present but the state government announced a cash award of Rs 10 lakh for Bengal side instead of the earlier declared Rs 5 lakh. The IFA gave Rs 5 lakh, I-League side Chirag United awarded Rs 5 lakh, while Bengal team`s sponsors Tower Group added another Rs 5 lakh to take the total prize money to Rs 25 lakh. Star in Bengal`s win with his two matchwinning goals, Bengal midfielder Denson described this as the most memorable moment in his life. "It feels really great, the response is so overwhelming, it seems I am in heaven. For the last three-four days, I am yet to sleep, such has been the excitement.” "The title has erased last year`s bitter memories. Bengal has always been my first choice because of the the facilities, infrastructure," Denson, who hails from Kerala`s Kunnur, said. Olympians Sailen Manna, P K Banerjee and Chuni Goswami among a host of other sporting personalities were present among the august gathering. "Bengal are now the best in India. I am so proud of them. The credit goes to the coach (Shabbir Ali). It`s really a glorious moment," said Olympian P K Banerjee, who had won the same title being the captain of Bengal as well as Railways. "Santosh Trophy is truly special to me. I had won that being both Bengal and Railways captain. In Railways win, we had beaten Bengal. I had felt bad but I had made my employers (Railways) proud." IFA secretary Utpal Ganguli described this as a beginning of a new chapter in Bengal`s football. "After I took charge in IFA in 2007, winning Santosh Trophy was a dream. And, the dream was shattered after Goa beat us in the tie-breaker last year in Chennai. There I had met Shabbir Ali, who was a commentator. We both took a pledge which got fulfilled on August 8. This will inspire new players," Ganguli said. PTI