The Manipur Santosh Trophy football team players during a training session at Khuman Lampak practice ground on Sunday. A Telegraph picture

Imphal, May 20: The Manipur football team left for Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday to take part in the 62nd Santosh Trophy National Football Championship.

Barring defender L. Dhanachandra Singh, who could not accompany the team because of minor injuries and six outstation players, the rest of the squad started together.

The Manipur team had their last practice session at the Khuman Lampak ground here when they took part in a friendly match under the watchful eyes of coach S. Akendra Singh on Sunday afternoon.

The tournament will be held from May 25 to June 15. Pitted in Cluster II in the league stage of the tournament with teams like Services, Nagaland and Orissa, Manipur will open their campaign with a match against Orissa on May 27.

Though the coach hoped that the team would perform well, he said the 14-day coaching stint in Imphal was too short considering the magnitude of the tournament that lay ahead.

Though All Manipur Football Association had selected 20 players for the championship — 10 from within the state and the rest outstation players from different parts of country, only 14 players, including four outstation players, turned up for the practice sessions. The rest will join the team in Jammu and Kashmir.

Singh felt that it would have been more useful had all the players assembled here and practised together.

However, he said the outstation players get regular exposure and, being experienced players, they would be able to adapt quickly to the playing XI. The team would have no problem in operating as an unit, he added.

“Of course, we will get a minimum of two days’ practice before the first match,” Singh said. With proper teamwork the squad can bring the prestigious Santosh Trophy home once again, he added.

The players representing Manipur are goalkeepers Lalit Thapa and S. Basanta Singh, defenders L. Uttam Singh, Khelemba Singh, Benjamin Kamson, H. Devan Singh, S. Thomas, Y. Raju Singh, midfielders Charan Rai, W. Ngouba Singh, W. Ajitkumar Singh, Zenith Tangkhul, S. Dharamjit Singh, L. James Meitei, M. Bijen Singh, Strikers N. Jimmy Singh, I. Nilakumar Singh, K. Kamson Singh and Jotin Singh.

All Manipur Football Association vice-president P. Raghumani Singh is accompanying the squad as team manager.