Picture Credit: Twitter
In order to help the families affected by the Balasore railway catastrophe earlier this month, the Indian men's senior football team has chosen to contribute INR 20 Lakh from their reward prize. Notably, India defeated Lebanon 2-0 in the Intercontinental Cup final on Sunday night at the Kalinga Stadium with goals from captain Sunil Chhetri and Lallianzuala Chhangte.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik declared a monetary reward of INR 1 Crore for the accomplishment and congratulated the winning team. Notably, India did not allow a single goal over the course of four matches as they successfully reclaimed the title they last won in 2018.
“We’re grateful for the gesture by the Government of Odisha to award the team with a cash bonus for our win. In what was an instant and collective decision by the dressing room, we’ve decided to donate Rs 20 lakh of that money towards relief and rehabilitation work for families affected by the unfortunate train accident in the state earlier this month," the Indian football team posted via its Twitter handle.
India were undefeated throughout the tournament and won the final by triumphing over Lebanon. The next mission for the Blue Tigers is the SAFF Championship, which will see them square off against arch-rivals Pakistan, followed by matches against Nepal and Kuwait. The South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship will kick off from June 21 and go on till July 4 in India.
