India clinched its record 9th SAFF Championship title, beating Kuwait on penalties.
Kuwait took the lead through a 14-minute strike from Shabib Al Khaldi. Mumbai City winger Lallianzuala Chhangte equalised on the 38-minute mark. The rest of the game was a cagey affair, and there were few clear-cut chances for either team to win the game.
After the game went to penalties, goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu saved Kuwait captain Khaled Hajiahโs shot to win the game for the Blue Tigers.
After India won the SAFF Championship 2023, tributes started pouring in from various leaders around the country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to congratulate the victorious Indian team, and said that the teamโs โremarkable journey, powered by the determination and tenacity of [the Indian] athletesโฆ will continue to inspire upcoming sportspersons.โ
Home Minister Amit Shah too congratulated the Blue Tigers โfor igniting the spark of our prideโ.
Anurag Thakur, the Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, also congratulated the team on the win, and told them to โkeep shiningโ.
Other politicians to congratulate the team include Rajya Sabha MP Prakash Javadekar and BJP National Spokesperson Sambit Patra.
The members of the Indian football celebrated the hard-fought SAFF title, with head coach Igor Stimac posting a heartfelt message on Twitter.
All India Football Federation (AIFF) President Kalyan Chaubey, who was instrumental in organising the SAFF Championship in Bengaluru, congratulated the team on their victory.
The cricketing fraternity joined in, hailing their footballing colleagues in making the country proud.
Congratulatory tweets were posted by BCCI Secretary Jay Shah, wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik, Washington Sundar, and former cricketer Manoj Tiwary.
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