New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir will stage the 62nd edition of the Santosh Trophy from May 25 to June 15, according to AIFF sources. Matches will be played in Srinagar and Jammu.

The last time the state hosted the national championship was in the 1978-79 season. Led by Gautam Sarkar, Bengal defeated Goa by a solitary goal in the final to lift the trophy.

Defending champions Punjab, runners-up Bengal, and two semi-finalists of last season, Kerala and Maharashtra, have been seeded directly to the quarter final league which starts on June 5.

The rest have been divided into eight clusters. On the opening day, hosts Jammu and Kashmir will clash with Pondicherry while Daman and Diu will play Himachal. Both matches will be played in Srinagar.