Santosh Trophy: ISL club, strong state leagues key to Karnataka and Meghalaya’s journey to final

Bengaluru FC reserve player Ankith Padmanabhan grew up poring over newspaper clippings amassed his father, a former Indian football player, in their home, dreaming of one day emulating and possibly bettering his feats. At 21, after stints in different local football clubs, Padmanabhan is one step away from winning the Santosh Trophy, as Karnataka meet Meghalaya in the final at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh.
It was a good Santosh Trophy campaign in the previous season – one in which Karnataka had reached the semi-finals – that prompted Indian Super League club Bengaluru FC to come chasing for his signature. That and the six goals in eight games that he put up during the BDFA Super Division League. Now in the midst of a three-year contract, the attacker has a hold on his career and how it is supposed to go.
His football journey started when he signed for Ozone FC Bengaluru when he was in the eighth standard. From there, stints with Young Challengers FC and Kickstart FC followed.
At the other clubs – which are not residential programs and focus only on football training and not other aspects of development for a footballer – Padmanabhan was left trying to do everything at the topmost level without any guidance. At Bengaluru, the path was laid out for him from the moment he joined.
“In earlier clubs, I wouldn’t play according to tactics. It was always about trying to be noticed people so I could sign for a big club. At BFC, they teach us about work rate and the things needed to reach the senior team and how far the level is.”
Bengaluru impact
Four of Karnataka’s players are from Bengaluru FC’s reserve team. Young and looking to break into the senior squad, these players are crucial to the success of the state team at the Santosh Trophy. And if there is one commonality between both finals Meghalaya and Karnataka, it is the presence of strong leagues within the state. While Meghalaya’s footballing talent is honed at the Shillong Premier League, the Bangalore Football League’s Super Division has also started to show its impact at the state level.
Bengaluru FC’s reserve team last won the Super Division in the 2019-2020 season. But it is the coaching provided the setup of the club, and the promise of progression that stays with the players. Karnataka coach Ravi Babu Raju believes that the players coached at the club have a level of maturity with the ball that isn’t common.
“The players coming from the Bengaluru FC reserves are quality players. If you see Fanai, who plays as a No 6 in the midfield, and Robin, who scored the first goal yesterday, they are really good. They are young, but they have exposure. BFC have previously gone to Europe to play and they are more mature on the ball,” said Raju. Explaining further why the BFC players were doing well, the Karnataka coach said, “You build more confidence on the ball when you play outside India.”
There is also the matter of the quality of coaching provided. Padmanabhan recalls how most coaches would teach him to press the ball in defensive transitions chasing the opposition player with the ball. At Bengaluru though, he learned the opposite – a way that would need him to trust in the system and his teammates.
“You need not run harder and press a player for possession. Instead, you can play smart and cover your man, who’ll pass to someone who is covered your teammate and soon we will win possession and attack. The emphasis is not to play hard but to play smart.”
Similar teams
When both Meghalaya and Karnataka come out to decide the outcome of the trophy tomorrow, chances are that each will be almost looking at themselves in the mirror. Both teams are built on the foundation of strong leagues, with teams that emphasise quality coaching. Both teams can play fast on the counter, but also have players that can slow play down in the middle of the pitch and pass their way out of crowded midfields.
Crucially though, both teams consently go behind a goal but always manage to figure out a way to eke out a win. Come Saturday, Karnataka’s coach has already announced that his team intends to hit Meghalaya on the break and feels that their opponents’ weakness might lie in defence.

Both teams are also in the midst of a horic season. While Meghalaya have never won the Santosh Trophy, Karnataka haven’t won one for the last 54 years. In fact, the last time they won the title, they were Mysore and beat Bengal 1-0 in Bengaluru in the 1968-69 season.