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Sachin Tendulkar, Jay Shah Applaud Sunil Chhetri-Led Indian Team's Victory in SAFF Championship

Jatin

image-ljpe6arkIndia were unbeaten in the tournament (Twitter)

The Indian football team clinched their ninth South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship title in a stunning finale at the Sri Kanteerava Outdoor Stadium on Tuesday.


Indian cricket community hails Blue Tigers' 9th SAFF Championship win

The Blue Tigers outclassed Kuwait in a nerve-wracking penalty shootout which induced jubilant reactions from the Indian cricket fraternity as they celebrated the win on social media.

The championship bout started off on a disheartening note for the home side as Kuwait's Shabib Al Khaldi netted an early goal in the 14th minute. However, the Blue Tigers' spirit remained intrepid with Lallianzuala Chhangte equalizing in the 38th minute following a sensational Indian offensive.

Both teams delivered an intense performance in the second half, determined to tip the scale in their favour. Nonetheless, the score remained tied at the end of regular time, leading to extra time which again ended in a stalemate.

With the scores level at 1-1 and nothing to separate the two sides, the game went into a penalty shootout. The deadlock persisted even after each side missed one penalty, with the score frozen at 4-4 and the match edging towards sudden death.

Naorem Mahesh Singh was the man of the moment for India as he confidently scored the next penalty which piled up the pressure on Kuwait's skipper, Khaled Hajiah. Kuwait's captain couldn't overcome India's goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu's stellar save. This pivotal moment sealed India's ninth SAFF Championship title and ignited euphoria among the crowd in Bangalore.

Unbeaten throughout the tournament, the Blue Tigers raised the coveted trophy for a record ninth time, creating history in the process. The inspiring victory drew praise from across the Indian cricket community, including BCCI Secretary Jay Shah and legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, all of whom extended heartfelt congratulations to Sunil Chettri's resilient team.

Here’s a look at how the Indian cricketing fraternity reacted to India’s SAFF Championship win: