The 77th National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy ended on a fascinating note with Services emerging the champion after defeating Goa by a solitary goal in the final. This was the first time that Arunachal Pradesh hosted such a mega sports tournament. Even though Arunachal could not reach the final, a massive crowd turned up to witness the final. The Golden Jubilee Outdoor Stadium in Yupia, where the final was played, has a capacity for 15,000 people. However, in the final, many could not enter the ground as police turned them back after the stadium was filled.
Seeing the massive support for the game of football, Chief Minister Pema Khandu, who attended the final, announced that the state government is planning to construct a football stadium larger than the Golden Jubilee Stadium in the Itanagar Capital Region. This is perhaps the best legacy of Santosh Trophy. While planning for the new stadium, the government should keep in mind the parking and approach road too. It has been absolute harassment for the security officials as well as for the football fans who had turned up to watch the matches in Yupia. The massive traffic jam created a mess. Also, keeping future needs in mind, the capacity of the stadium should be above 40,000 people. The response of the people to the Santosh Trophy showed that football could emerge as a very important sport in the state. The Arunachal Pradesh Football Association should tap the popularity and work to improve football infrastructure at the grassroots. The talent should be spotted from the grassroots onwards.