Hosts Rajasthan launched their campaign in the 79th Senior Men's National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy in spectacular fashion, registering a commanding 6-0 victory over Dadra Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu at the Vidhyadhar Nagar Stadium in Jaipur on Wednesday. Captain Mukesh Choudhary led by example, scoring a brilliant brace to guide his team to a rousing start in the Group I fixture.
A Dream Start for the Hosts
The match could not have begun better for Rajasthan, as they found themselves ahead within just two minutes of kick-off. The visiting team from Dadra Nagar Haveli scored an unfortunate own goal, handing the hosts an early advantage. Despite creating several chances thereafter, Rajasthan was initially thwarted by a resilient visiting defence.
The breakthrough finally came just before halftime. In the 44th minute, Rajasthan's Amit showcased excellent skill, weaving past a couple of defenders before calmly slotting the ball home from close range to double the lead.
Second-Half Goal Fest Seals the Deal
Rajasthan continued their dominance after the break, adding four more goals to complete the rout. The highlight of the half was a moment of individual brilliance from captain Mukesh Choudhary. In the 62nd minute, the ace striker executed a spectacular bicycle kick, finding the back of the net to make it 3-0 and sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
The goals kept flowing as Neeraj added the fourth in the 72nd minute. Vice-captain Milan Punia further swelled the tally in the 81st minute. Mukesh Choudhary wasn't done yet, completing his well-deserved brace by converting a penalty just a minute later in the 82nd minute to seal the emphatic 6-0 scoreline. For his outstanding all-round performance, Mukesh was rightly adjudged the Player-of-the-Match.
Other Results and Inaugural Ceremony
In another Group I match played earlier in the day, Gujarat secured a convincing 3-0 win over Maharashtra. Moinuddin was the star for Gujarat, scoring twice in the 8th and 78th minutes, while Dharmesh added a third in the 89th minute.
The inaugural ceremony of the tournament was graced by chief guests Andreas Gunther (General Manager, RS India), KK Tak (Chairman, Rajasthan United FC), and Sanjay Parashar (President, Maharishi Arvind Shiksha Sansthan). The event was also attended by Rajasthan Football Association secretary Dilip Singh Shekhawat and several former national players from the state.
With this massive victory, Rajasthan has sent a strong message to their competitors in the Santosh Trophy and will look to carry this momentum into their upcoming group stage matches.
