Fifty years on, the fragrance of Kerala’s first Santosh Trophy triumph is still sweet, and so too are its memories. It was a humongous achievement by underdogs Kerala on that frigid December evening at the Maharaja’s College Stadium, and it changed the future of the Beautiful Game in the State forever.
Captain Mani with his hat-trick in the final against Railways gained immortality and his bunch of talented players became the first real superstars of the State. For the first time in the history of the State, the Government declared a public holiday to commemorate the title win by a sports team.
Kerala’s maiden Santosh Trophy win was very much unforeseen in an era where the game was dominated by Bengal. Punjab, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka were formidable sides and Kerala was a rank outsider in the tournament.
