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| Santosh Trophy: J&K qualify for pre-quarters | | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | May 29
After winning their all three league matches, the hosts Jammu and Kashmir today topped the cluster-IV to make it into the pre-quarterfinals round of the 62nd National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy underway at different venues of Jammu and Srinagar.
In the last league match of cluster-IV played at Bakshi Stadium Srinagar this evening, Jammu and Kashmir blanked lowly Himachal Pradesh 8-0 to make it into the knock-out round in style. Now, J&K will be playing against the winner of tomorrow cluster-III match between Delhi and Tripura.
“The win in the June Ist pre-quarterfinal match is crucial for us, because it is victory only which will guide us to the quarterfinals league round. If J&K win in the pre-quarterfinals, it will be after a gap of 20 years that we will be qualifying for the quarterfinals,” international footballer, Arun Malhotra, who is part of the state team, told SAN.
“The way boys have played in the first round that finished today, I’m sure we will be in the quarterfinals. The team has gained a lot of confidence during the three game played in the last week. With the joining of Ishfaq Ahmed of Mohan Bagan, who scored five goals against Himachal today, boys are in high spirit and ready to take on any side,” asserted the Afro-Asian Games silver medalist and State Sports Awardee, Arun.
Meanwhile, at Jammu, both the matches of cluster II ended in a draw. While, Orissa held Services to a 1-1 draw at MA Stadium this morning, the tie between Nagaland and Manipur remained undecided with both teams failed to score any goal at GGM Science College ground in the afternoon.
Since, both Manipur and Services have gained same points out of their two outing each, it will be the third match, to be played between them on May 31, which will decide the winner of the cluster-II.
FIXTURE
Cluster-I (Jammu)
Sikkim V/s Chandigarh at 7.30 am, M A Stadium
Tamil Nadu V/s Bihar at 4.30 pm, GGM Science College |
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