New Delhi: Chaos and drama marked the opening day of the Santosh Trophy national football championship as two teams turned up here on Thursday, each claiming to represent Uttar Pradesh. It was another matter that neither of the teams could take the field as their opponents in the cluster IV encounter, Arunachal Pradesh, did not turn up at all!

While the Uttar Pradesh Football Sangh, the body recognised by the AIFF, claimed that the other faction had no legal authority to come here, the other team ? UP Football Association ? wanted the federation to defer the decision till the state high court hearing of the case on Friday.

However, match commissioner S.R. Deb said: ?The Sangh, represented by Shamshuddin, is the recognised body and was invited to play here. Since Arunachal Pradesh did not turn up no match was played and points were awarded to them.?

Meanwhile, the UP Football Association joint general secretary Noor Alam contended that the Sangh was an unauthorised body as it did not have the recognition of the state Olympic association.

Alam said they were fighting a case in the court against the same and it would come up for hearing on Friday and the AIFF should wait till the court?s decision before taking any decision.

Delhi start in style

Hosts Delhi got off to a rollicking start with a 6-0 rout of Gujarat. In the opening day?s other matches, Maharashtra got the better of Jharkhand 2-1 in cluster IV. In cluster III, Railways blanked Uttaranchal 3-0 while Bihar held Chandigarh to a goalless draw.

The inaugural match of the tournament, played at the Ambedkar Stadium, saw Mohun Bagan player Sunil Chhetri strike four goals as Delhi crushed Gujarat?s challenge in cluster II.

Meanwhile, Manipur?s chances of lifting the trophy have been increased after Manitombi Singh, Rajesh Meetei, Tomba Singh, Dharamjit Singh and M. Bijen Singh joined the team on Thursday Ever-Ready?s Rennedy Singh will join the team on Friday.

THE MANIPUR SQUAD

K. Bijen Singh, Raju Singh, Surkumar Singh, Manitombi Singh, Rajesh Meetei, Bungo Singh, Tomba Singh, James Singh, Dharamjit Singh, Renedy Singh, M. Bijen Singh, Tiken Singh, Narendra Singh. (PTI)