Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: West Bengal
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
The Santosh Trophy is one of the oldest and most prestigious state level football tournaments in India. This question focuses on the 2017 edition and asks which state team extended its record by winning the trophy for the thirty second time. It checks knowledge of Indian domestic football history and current affairs.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
Among Indian states, West Bengal traditionally dominates Santosh Trophy history and has won far more titles than any other team. The question hints at this by mentioning the very high number of wins, thirty two, which clearly points to the most successful state. The idea is to recall that West Bengal again lifted the trophy in 2017 and that this victory pushed their count to thirty two.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the overall record holder in Santosh Trophy titles. West Bengal has historically been the most successful state in this competition.Step 2: Remember that in the 2017 final, West Bengal won the tournament by defeating Goa in a closely contested match decided in extra time.Step 3: This win added one more title to West Bengal existing tally, taking the total to thirty two Santosh Trophy victories.Step 4: Compare this with the options. Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Punjab have won far fewer titles and cannot match such a high record.Step 5: Therefore, West Bengal is the only option that fits both the year and the record number of wins.
Verification / Alternative check:
A quick verification method is to recall that West Bengal and Punjab are the two most prominent names in Santosh Trophy history, but West Bengal has a clearly higher count. News reports covering the 2017 final highlighted that West Bengal extended its lead in overall titles to thirty two, something no other state has reached. That media framing confirms that the correct answer is West Bengal.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A, Odisha, is not a traditional powerhouse in Santosh Trophy and does not have a large title count. Option C, Andhra Pradesh, has limited success at this level. Option D, Punjab, has multiple wins but still lags behind West Bengal in total titles and did not win the 2017 edition. None of these states reached the milestone of thirty two titles in that year.
Common Pitfalls:
Candidates sometimes guess Punjab because it is also strong in Indian football, or they pick randomly among the options. Another mistake is to focus only on more recent performances and ignore the long historical record, which clearly favours West Bengal. For tournament history questions, it is important to link the state with both the specific year result and the cumulative record mentioned in the stem.
Final Answer:
The team that won the Santosh Trophy for the thirty second time in 2017 was West Bengal.
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