National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy, due to sponsorship ties with Hero MotoCorp, also known as the Hero National Football Championship, or simply Santosh Trophy, is a state-level national football competition contested by the state associations and government institutions under the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the sport's governing body in India. Before the starting of the first national club league, the National Football League in 1996, the Santosh Trophy was considered the top domestic honour in India. Many players who have represented India internationally, played and gained honour while playing in the Santosh Trophy.
The National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy, due to sponsorship ties with Hero MotoCorp, also known as the Hero National Football Championship or simply Santosh Trophy, is a state-level national football competition contested by the state associations and government institutions under the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the sport's governing body in India. Before the beginning of the first national club league, the National Football League in 1996, the Santosh Trophy was regarded as the top domestic honour in India. Many players who have represented India internationally played and gained recognition while participating in the Santosh Trophy.