New Delhi: DSport, a premium sports TV channel by Discovery Communications, will be the official broadcast partner for the SAFF Championship 2018. The tournament will kick off from 4th September 2018 in Bangladesh. The championship is one of the most important competition of Men’s Football in the South Asian region, governed by the South Asian Football Federation. Seven teams will compete in the 12th edition of the tournament for the coveted title of ‘South Asian Champions’.
The draw for the tournament is as follows:
| Group A | Group B |
| Bangladesh | India |
| Nepal | Maldives |
| Bhutan | Sri Lanka |
| Pakistan |
This year’s tournament will be a special one as Team India will fight to retain its position as the reigning champions. India will be up against Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The seven times SAFF Champions India has been pooled with arch rivals Maldives and Srilanka for the group stage of the competition. With the breathtaking form the Indian Captain Sunil Chhetri is in, and the recent series of wins for Team India, this contest will be a treat for the Indian football fans.
Previously known as ‘South Asian Association of Regional Co-operation Gold Cup’ held in 1993 and ‘South Asian Gold Cup 95’ in 1995, the tournament was renamed as the ‘South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship’ in 1997, with India won the inaugural SAARC Gold Cup in 1993 and also the SAFF Championship in 1997. Since its beginning, the biennial competition has developed with a focus on improving and promoting the game in the region.
