Delhi, Kozhikode, Bhubaneswar to host Santosh Trophy

The six group toppers, along with three best second-placed teams will qualify for the final round. Railways and Services will get direct entry along with the hosts.

Representational image: While the Group I will be played in Delhi, the Group II and V will be played in Kozhikode and Bhubaneswar respectively. | Photo Credit: SAKEER HUSSAIN

The 76th National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy will start on December 23, with the AIFF zeroing in on three venues -- Delhi, Bhubaneswar and Kozhikode.

While the Group I will be played in Delhi (December 23 to December 31), the Group II and V will be played in Kozhikode (December 26 to January 8, 2023) and Bhubaneswar (December 24 to January 1, 2023), respectively.

The dates and venues of other groups will be released soon. The new format will see 36 states fight it out across six groups for a chance to make it to the final round.

The six group toppers, along with three best second-placed teams will qualify for the final round. Railways and Services will get direct entry along with the hosts.

The group I comprises of Karnataka, Delhi, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Tripura and Ladakh.

Group II features Kerala, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir, while Group V will have Meghalaya, Odisha, Sikkim, Telangana, Pondicherry and Andaman & Nicobar.

The composition of Groups III, IV and VI will be announced later.