PM Modi congratulates Indian football team on winning SAFF Championship title

Hosts India clinched the SAFF Championshiptitle for the ninth time after beating Kuwait 54 in a tense penalty shootout after both sides were deadlocked 11 in 120 minutes in the summit clash here on Tuesday Thanks to goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhus heroics as he saved a crucial penalty kick in the summit clash as the scoreline remained 44 after five rounds of penalty kicksFollowing Indias stupendous win Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to congratulate the winning team India crowned champions yet again The Blue Tigers reign supreme at the SAFFChampionship2023 Congrats to our players The Indian Teams remarkable journey powered by the determination and tenacity of these athletes will continue to inspire upcoming sportspersons he wroteIndia crowned champions yet again The Blue Tigers reign supreme at the SAFFChampionship2023 Congrats to our players The Indian Teamrsquos remarkable journey powered by the determination and tenacity of these athletes will continue to inspire upcoming sportspersons pictwittercomDitI0NunmDmdash Narendra Modi narendramodi July 5 2023Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur also congratulated the Blue Tigers for their victory We have done it again Kudos to the BlueTigers for holding their nerve in such a gripping encounter with Kuwait in the final amp giving a scintillating performance to clinch the SAFFChampionship for a record th time India is thrilled on your victory keep shining Thakur wrote in his tweetWe have done it againKudos to the BlueTigers for holding their nerve in such a gripping encounter with Kuwait in the final amp giving a scintillating performance to clinch the SAFFChampionship for a record 9th time is thrilled on your victory keep shining hellip pictwittercomlxmOzQvsptmdash Anurag Thakur ianuragthakur July 4 2023Mahesh Naorem scored but a diving Sandhu saved Kuwait captain Khaled Hajiahs shot to the wild celebration of the home fans and at the India dug outAlso Read Gurpreet the hero as India beat Kuwait via penalties to lift 9th SAFF Championship titleIn the regulation time Shabaib Al Khaldi had put Kuwait in the lead in the 14th minute before Lallianzuala Chhangte equalised in the 39th minuteDefending champion India and Kuwait had also played out a 11 draw in their last group matchThis was the second time India won in the penalty shootout They had made it to Tuesdays summit clash after beating Lebanon 42 in penalty shootout in the semifinal on July 1 Sandhu had also made a crucial save in the shootout thenFor India captain Sunil Chhetri Sandesh Jhingan Chhangte Subasish Bose and Mahesh converted while Udanta Singh missedBefore the shootout drama Kuwait held a slight edge as they pressed forward for goals often in the first halfThe relentlessness fetched the desired result in the 14th minute Mobarak Al Faneeni released Abullah Al Bloushi on the left wing with a deft pass Al Bloushi found Shabaib Al Khaldi inside the box with an accurate cross which the latter slotted past India custodian Sandhu to give Kuwait 10 leadIndia could have levelled the scores within a minute but Kuwait goalkeeper Abdul Rahman blocked Chhangtes long rangerBut Chhangte who was named AIFF Mens Player of the Year on Tuesday was not to be denied a second time in the 39th minuteAfter a lovely exchange of passes between Sahal Abdul Samad and captain Chhetri the latter found an unmarked Chhangte deep inside the box Chhangte Indias energetic No 12 had little trouble in beating Abdul Rahman to find the equaliserIt atoned for Chhetris failure to score during the regulation time for the second match in a row to an extentIn the second half the action continued to flow thick and fast as both India and Kuwait searched for the winnerBoth sides came close to scoring their respective second goals but unable to do that as the match moved towards the extra time for the second successive time for both the teamsThe extra time too witnessed frenetic action from both the sides There were couple of injuries yellow cards to players and officials of both sides and a slew of cornersBut that the decisive goal did not come through making a penalty shootout mandatory to pick the winner