The National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy, due to ties with FIFA, also known as the FIFA Santosh Trophy, or simply Santosh Trophy, is an inter-state national football competition contested by the state associations and government institutions under the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the sport's governing body in India. Before the launch of the first national club league, the National Football League in 1996, the Santosh Trophy was considered the top domestic tournament in India. Many players who have represented India internationally have played and gained honour while playing in the Santosh Trophy. The tournament is held every year with eligible teams who are divided into zones, must play in the qualifying round and can progress into the tournament proper. The current champions are Karnataka, who won their title after 54 years during the 2022–23 edition. This was the first trophy for Karnataka, which had previously won four times as the princely state of Mysore, after 1968-69.
India has a history of sports dating back to the Vedic period. Cricket is the most popular spectator sport; it generates the highest television viewership, with the Indian Premier League (IPL) being the most-followed league in the country. Football has also gained popularity, with the Indian Super League (ISL) being the highest level of domestic football, and the national team winning multiple gold medals at the Asian and South Asian Games. Additional football accomplishments include India having reached the semifinal of the 1960 Olympics, qualified for the 1950 FIFA World Cup, and won the SAFF Championship. Other sports include kabaddi, badminton, tennis, and athletics, with kho-kho becoming the fourth-most viewed sport. India has also had success in field hockey, winning the World Cup and multiple medals in the Olympic Games. Sports such as golf, rugby, boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, motorsport, wrestling, and basketball are featured throughout the country.
Hockey India plans, directs and conducts all the activities for both men's and women's field hockey in India. It is recognized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India as the sole body responsible towards promoting the sport. It was formed after Indian Hockey Federation was dismissed in 2008.
The Senior Women's National Football Championship is a women's football tournament contested by state associations and government institutions in India. The first edition was held in 1991 and is organized by the All India Football Federation to crown the national women's football champion each year. It is based on a league and knockout format.
The Arunachal Pradesh football team is an Indian football team representing Arunachal Pradesh in the Indian state football competitions including the Santosh Trophy. Arunachal's sub-juniors team was runner up in the 2018 Hero Sub-Juniors Boys' National Championship and the 2019 Hero Sub Juniors Girls' National Championship. In the tournament, Tallo Ana from the Apatani community of Arunachal Pradesh was the top scorer with 15 goals in five matches.
The Punjab Football Association (PFA), formerly the North-West India Football Association, is the state-level football governing body for Punjab, India. It is affiliated with the All India Football Federation, the sports national governing body. It sends state teams for Santosh Trophy and Senior Women's National Football Championship.
Women's football in India is growing in popularity under All India Football Federation, despite the earlier long-term governing body's inability to provide sufficient funds for the game.
Handball Association India is the governing body for handball in India. HAI is registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 at Rohtak. It is a member of the Asian Handball Federation (AHF) and the International Handball Federation (IHF) since 1974. It is also a member of Commonwealth Handball Association and South Asian Handball Federation. Originally, HFI was founded by Jagat Singh Lohan, a Jat from Rohtak (Haryana) who was an alumnus of YMCA College of Physical Education of Madras Chennai. He was also the first secretary general of HFI.
The Himachal Pradesh Football Association is one of the 36 Indian state football associations that are affiliated to the All India Football Federation.
The 2017–18 Senior Women's National Football Championship is the 23rd edition of the Senior Women's National Football Championship, the premier competition in India for women's teams representing regional and state football associations.
State football leagues in India represents premier-state (football), overall 5th-10th men's and 3rd women's tier of the Indian football league system. There are currently a total of 36 state associations affiliated with the national governing body, the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
The 2019–20 Senior Women's National Football Championship, also known as Hero Senior Women's National Football Championship for sponsorship reasons, was the 25th edition of the Senior Women's National Football Championship, the premier competition in India for women's teams representing regional and state football associations. The tournament was hosted in Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh, between 10 and 24 September 2019 at the Indira Gandhi Golden High School, Kiyit Secondary School and Daying Ering Football Stadium, Nari.
The Indrajit Namchoom Arunachal League or Arunachal Super League is the top state division of football in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. The league is organised by Arunachal Pradesh Football Association, the governing body of football in the state under AIFF affiliation.
The Madhya Pradesh Football Association (MPFA) is the football governing body in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India, and one of the 36 Indian state football associations that are affiliated with the All India Football Federation. The Madhya Pradesh football team is administered by the MPFA. Federation sends state teams for Santosh Trophy and Senior Women's National Football Championship. It also organises Madhya Pradesh Premier League, the top tier competition of the state.
The Andhra Pradesh Football Association (APFA), formerly the Andhra Football Association, is the state governing body of football in Andhra Pradesh. It is affiliated with the All India Football Federation, the national governing body. The APFA sends state teams for Santosh Trophy and Senior Women's National Football Championship.
The Chandigarh Football Association (CFA) is the state governing body of football in Chandigarh. It is affiliated with the All India Football Federation, the national governing body. It sends state teams for Santosh Trophy and Senior Women's National Football Championship.
The Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Football Association (DDFA) is the governing body of football in the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. It is affiliated with the All India Football Federation, the national governing body. It sends state teams for Santosh Trophy and Senior Women's National Football Championship.
The Pondicherry Football Association is the football governing body for the union territory of Puducherry, India. It is affiliated with the All India Football Federation, the national governing body. It sends state teams for Santosh Trophy and Senior Women's National Football Championship.
