ITI Football & It's Glorious Days

ITI Sports Club was opened in 1952 and since then have had a glorious run in all Sporting activities especially football. The ITI football team were one of the prominent teams from Karnataka who had created waves within Indian football. The crowning glory was when it won the prestigious Federation Cup in its inaugural year 1977 and was declared the Champion Club of India. In the following year in 1978 they were the runners-up, the closest they came after this of regaining this trophy was in 1988 when they lost in the semifinals.
In 1993 they won the Stafford Cup which was the Blue Ribband of Bangalore and South India. This tournament had eluded them for years since its inception. Apart from this they won many tournaments in South India and were a force to reckon with in South India and can be said that they were the leading club in South India, so much so that the Federation decided to give it a direct entry in its inaugural National League in 1996. Being a Public Sector Unit it managed to compete with the top leading clubs of India who had turned Professional at this stage. The highest grading they received in the National League was when they were placed 7th in the 6th Edition of the National League in 2001/02.
Apart from these tournaments ITI football team participated in all the major tournaments of India like the Durand Cup, Rovers Cup, IFA Shield, DCM Trophy, etc. They also had an opportunity to play at international tournaments in Nepal, Maldives, etc.
Having such great achievements behind them they also contributed a great deal in providing players in abundance to football in Karnataka and Indian Football.
The closure of the ITI football team in summer 2005 was a major blow to the football activities of Bangalore and Karnataka and with a heavy heart we can only recall the glorious days of this great team.