Raising the heat in Palakkad

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Focus of football fans shifts to Palakkad for a fortnight from this weekend. The 37th State Club Football Championship, to be held there from March 25 to April 7, will witness 24 teams vying for the trophy.

“We are getting prepared for the mega event. We want to make the tournament a great success and we have erected a temporary stadium that has a capacity of 10,000 people.

Moreover, the matches are conducted in the floodlit ground and this would attract more fans to the tournament,” said Palakkad Football Association secretary Shivakumar.

Apart from the league toppers from each district, the department teams such as Titanium, KSEB, SBT, Kerala Police, and Central Excise and I-League second division teams from Kerala Golden Threads, Eagles FC and Quartz FC are taking part in the tournament.

“All the teams have confirmed their participation. The coming days will be a great time for the sport in the state,” says Shivakumar.

“Several of the best legs in the state will play in the department teams, including foreigners.”

“The match will be a great exposure for all the clubs in the state. Apart from winning, the tournament gives a boost to club football in the state and we expect a decent crowd for the matches,” he said.

Moreover, the tournament will be a hot ground for recruitment of the players for the Santosh Trophy. The probable XI has already been selected, but some changes will be made to it by adding more talents to the tournament.