Imphal, Nov. 6: Manipur Governor Ved Marwah will accord a grand reception to the host team which won the 58th LG Santosh Trophy at Raj Bhavan tomorrow.

Manipur, who played the final match of the national football championship for the first time, lifted the trophy, defeating defending champions Kerala 2-1 in a fiercely-fought final match at the Khuman Lampak main stadium on Tuesday.

The Governor, who had announced immediately after the hosts cruised into the semifinal (defeating Orissa 4-1 first and holding Tamil Nadu 2-2) a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh, is expected to hand over the cheque to the team during tomorrow’s function. Celebrations of Manipur’s victory, which is indeed a landmark in the state’s football history, were postponed by a day due to Ningol Chakouba, one of the biggest festivals of the state, today.

The Manipur government has declared a holiday tomorrow. The Manipur People’s Liberation Front (MPLF), an umbrella organisation of three banned underground organisations namely, People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak, United National Liberation Front and the Revolutionary Peoples Front, have joined the state in celebrating the victory. In a statement last night, the front congratulated the players.