Bengal Announces Final Squad for Santosh Trophy Preliminary Round

Sayak Banerjee | 6 Oct 2023

The Indian Football Association (IFA) has announced Bengal’s final 22-member squad for the upcoming Santosh Trophy preliminary round. The announcement was made on Friday evening at Kishore Bharati Stadium following a rigorous training session. IFA Secretary Anirban Dutta revealed the names in a press conference, with goalkeeper Shankar Roy named as team captain.

The squad features a mix of experienced players and young talent, including Devnath Mondal, Raunak Ghosh, Arijit Bagui, Rana Gharami, Ujjal Howladar, Alamgir Hussain, Chaku Mandi, Vijay Murmu, Dip Saha, Billu Teli, Narahari Shrestha, Shubho Ghosh, Sahil Harijan, Jiten Murmu, Sayan Banerjee, Kaustav Dutta, Raj Basfor, Dipendu Biswas, Ruhul Purokait, Bikram Pradhan, and Sujay Ghosh.

The final practice session saw the team being cheered on by former footballer and Dronacharya awardee Syed Nayeemuddin, alongside members of the IFA Coaches Committee, including Manoranjan Bhattacharya, Ashok Chand, and committee chairman Rajib Bag, who also serves as the team manager. IFA Vice President Saurav Pal and several other dignitaries were present to lend their support.

The Bengal squad is set to depart for Punjab on Saturday, October 7. Their first match is scheduled against Odisha on Monday, October 9, as they aim to kick off their Santosh Trophy campaign with a win.