Indian Arrows form bulk of pre-Olympic pool‎

It was little surprise when the Indian Arrows I-League team once again formed the nucleus of the country's pre-Olympic squad. Seventeen of the under-21 team which finished a creditable ninth in the just-concluded I-League, were among the 25 probables for the second round of pre-Olympic qualifiers against Qatar.

India will face Qatar in Doha on June 10 in the first leg, with the return leg scheduled for Pune on June 23. India qualified for the second round after beat Myanmar 3-2 on aggregate in the first round. Among the probables, Jagroop Singh, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Ravi Kumar are the three goalkeepers from the Arrows, while defenders Inderpreet Singh, Raju Eknath Gaikwad, Deepak Devrani, R Vishal Kumar, Abhishek Das, Lalrozama Fenai and midfielders Jewel Raja Sheikh, Shilton Sydney D'Silva, Ongnam Milan Singh, Jibon Singh, Lalrindika Ralte were also selected in the probables.

Coach Desmod Bulpin, who is also in charge of Indian Arrows formed last year to prepare the national team for the 2018 World Cup, is also in charge of the pre-Olympics squad. Indian Arrows striker Jeje Lalpekhlua, Manandeep Singh, Jagtar Singh will be spearheading the attack.

AIFF relaunches Vision India
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Friday re-launched the Vision India Programme by shifting its focus from states to cities/districts after the initiative, launched by the Asian Football Confederation in 2004, met with failures in Delhi, Kerala and Goa. The executive committee of the AIFF ratified the re-launch programme for Mumbai, Pune and Chandigarh under the new format.

The Probables:
Goalkeepers: Laxmikant Kattimani, Jagroop Singh, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Ravi Kumar.
Defenders: Inderpreet Singh, Raju Eknath Gaikwad, Deepak Devrani, R Vishal Kumar, Abhishek Das, Lalrozama Fenai, Arnab Mondal, Saba Saleel.
Midfielders: Jewel Raja Sheikh, Shilton Sydney D'Silva, Oinam Milan Singh, Kh Jibon Singh, Lalrindika Ralte, Gurjinder Kumar, Snehasis Chakraborthy, Anthony Barbosa, Zakir Mundampara.
Forwards: Jeje Lalpekhlua, Manandeep Singh, Jagtar Singh, CS Sabeeth.

Tevez, Di Maria to be seen alongside Messi in Kolkata friendly

It’s good news for football-crazy fans of the city as Argentine superstar Lionel Messi and his teammates are playing a FIFA official international friendly match against Venezuela at Salt Lake’s Yuba Bharati Krirangan on September 2.
After rounds of rumour, the official confirmation came on Monday when Celebrity Management Group along with the state government, All India Football Federation and Indian Football Association announced this at a press conference.

“The Argentina Football Association had indeed signed a contract to bring in the full-strength squad including Messi and Carlos Tevez among others. So the contract guarantees their participation,” said Bhaswar Goswami of CMG.
The city-based sports management firm that had earlier brought football legend Diego Maradona in 2008 would also organise another international friendly match between Argentina and Nigeria in Dhaka on September 6.
“We were given the match in condition that we have to buy another. We did not think twice and bought both the matches just to make Messi play in Kolkata,” Goswami said. 

The Barcelona star forward and winner of the FIFA Ballon d’Or award was recently instrumental in his club’s Champions League win. 
Giving a brief detail about the itinerary, he said Messi and Co. would stay here for four days, beginning August 30. “We are also planning several other events which will be announced later. We are thinking of a minimum ticket price of Rs 1000 -- about USD 20, a nominal price compared to the ticket prices in other international friendlies.”
“Those who could not afford to make the match, we would give them another chance for both the teams practice sessions the tickets of which would be at a cheaper price,” Goswami added. 

West Bengal sports minister Madan Mitra said he is getting full support from the chief minister to clean up the ‘mess’ in the stadium where Messi is going to play. 
“The stadium is completely in a mess. The garbage there has been piled up for 34 years. We are leaving no stone unturned to make the stadium international match-worthy,” he said. 
“It’s difficult to give YBK a complete facelift in such a short period. Our list of priorities include better toilets, changing rooms and passage ways. We will also bring a generator from a Chennai firm to avoid the frequent blackouts in the stadium,” Mitra said. 
All India Football Federation vice-president Subrata Dutta said that the match would be a turning point in India’s football history. 
“This would inspire others to organise more such matches. It’s going to be a historical day,” Dutta said. 
In the same vein, IFA secretary Utpal Ganguli said, “I don’t think it would improve our standard of the game but surely it would popularise the sport. I am sure it would help more and more people turning away from EPL and other leagues (IPL)”. 
The match is scheduled to begin from 7pm.

We need to concentrate on youngsters, not seniors: Armando Colaco

Expectations are running high after Armando Colaco took over the reins of the National Team. Fully aware of the challenge ahead, Armando, by far the most successful Indian Coach in recent times, feels everyone need to be a bit patient. In a freewheeling interview, Armando says the doors for the Senior Players haven’t been shut for ever. 

Excerpts.
How much different is it to coach the National Team from a club side?
Both are entirely different. The National Team is a much more difficult bunch to handle. In a club the entire squad stays with you all throughout the season whereas in a National Team, there are footballers from different clubs and all parts of the country. It’s not possible for the National Team Coach to keep a tab on them over the year. Moreover, you have to know their psyche and then work with them.

How much difficult was it to keep some Big Names out of the list of 42 Probables for the World Cup?
I have full respect for the Seniors and am aware of their contribution for Indian football. Obviously, it was a very difficult decision for me. I relied on present form and building a team for the future. Players who have played well in the I-League have been preferred over others. Hence, some Big Names had to be left out. If we are to look at the future, we need to concentrate on the youngsters who performed well in AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers in Kuala Lumpur.

Does that mean the National Team doors have been shut on the Seniors for ever?
I have never said so and neither do I believe so. The list of 42 Probables is for a specific time period with a specific plan. Anyone who performs well after that can easily walk into the National Team. Doors on the Seniors haven’t been shut for ever.

What would you focus on when the boys assemble for the Camp?
We would focus on keeping the ball. Ball possession defines the character of a team and invariably scripts the fate of a match. But it’s not easy to play ‘simple yet breathtaking football.’ We will have special sessions with the ball and the conditioning will be done at the same time.

How do you rate India’s chances against UAE in the World Cup Qualifiers?
They are a tough unit no doubt who prefer to play physical football. There are many foreigners who have naturalised for the UAE National Team. After all, India did lose to them 5-0 in one of the practice matches ahead of the Asian Cup. We also need to keep in mind the climatic conditions won’t favour us much when we play them in July.
(source the-aiff.com)

Kolkata will host Argentina-Venezuela soccer match

olkata, June 6 (IBNS): West Bengal Sports Minister Madan Mitra said that the state government will try to take all the necessary steps to ensure the success of the International friendly match between Argentina and Venezuela that will be hosted on Sep 2 at the Salt Lake Stadium here.

"We want this match to be played is a clear statement from the government. We will try our best. We will have no stone unturned," Mitra said.

"The condition of the toilet, change room, media room is very poor," he said on Monday as the official announcement on the much awaited match was made.

He also said that the time for the preparation is very less and it will take time for them to prepare the stadium for such an important match.

"We are not saying that it will be possible to transform it to the international standard but we will give extra importance to the toilet, change room and media room this time," he said.

Speaking on the power cut problem that often affects the stadium he said: "We have already spoken to Chennai for the back up power."

"We will also see that the Astroturf is better maintained," he said.

Slamming the previous Left Front government, Madan Mitra said: "Messi is coming only there where there is mess."

Subrata Dutta, Vice President, All India Football Federation, said: "These events not only enhance the popularity of the game but draws the attention of government both at the state as well as at the central."

"The game will make football more popular in India rather than bettering the game in India," U.K.Ganguly, Honorary Secretary, Indian Football Association, said.

Bhaswar Goswami, Executive Diorector, Celebrity Management Group (CMG), the organisation which is the exclusive Licensee for this historic match, announced that the match will take place on Sep 2 and they will also organise the match between Argentina and Nigeria in Bangladesh on Sep 6.

He announced that Argentina and Venezuela will bring the full and strong team in India and will arrive in India on Aug 30.

"There will be one day practice session that will be held in a different stadiums and that will also be ticketed," Goswami said.

"We are also planning to felicitate the entire team and we will hope that our Chief MInister will be there as the Chief Guest in the event," he said.

CMG was also responsible for the historic tour of football legend Diego Maradona in Kolkata during Dec 2008.

"We will announce shortly the ticket distribution plan. Tickets can be purchased online from any part of India. Tickets will also be available in CBS branches of our Partner Bank," D. Pandey, CEO, CMG said.

He also announced that they are planning to introduce few special VIP hospitality boxes in the stadium.

Video: Coming soon, football IPL style

India lists 42 probables for Fifa qualifiers

Dubai: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has released a list of 42 probables who have been called for the camp to select the squad to participate in the 2014 Fifa World Cup qualifiers against the UAE.

The players have been asked to report to chief coach Armando Colaco for the camp scheduled to be held in New Delhi from June 15.

India will play the double-header against the UAE on July 23 and then the home game in Delhi on July 28.

In addition to the 42 names, goalkeeper Arindam Bhattacharyya and midfielder Anthony Pereira will also be a part of the camp as part of their ongoing rehabilitation process. The two are a part of India's Olympic campaign against Qatar and will be joining the camp after June 23.

Meanwhile, the preparatory camp for 25 probables of the Olympics team will be held in Pune from June 10.

Following is the list of India probables:

Goalkeepers: Subrata Pal (Pune FC); Jagroop Singh (Indian Arrows); Sandip Nandy (Kingfisher East Bengal); Karanjit Singh (Salgaocar); Laxmikant Kattimani (Dempo SC).

Defenders: Gourmangi Singh, Denzel Franco, Robert Lalthlamuana, Rowilson Rodrigues (Churchill Brothers); Thokchom Naoba Singh, Gurwinder Singh (Kingfisher East Bengal); Raju Eknath Gaikwad (Indian Arrows); Khangembam Singh (Salgaocar); Valleriano Rebello, Debabrata Roy, Sameer Naik, Mahesh Gawli (Dempo SC); Mohanraj, Rakesh Masih (McDowell Mohun Bagan).

Midfielders: Mehtab Hussain, Syed Rahim Nabi, Harmanjot Khabra (Kingfisher East Bengal); Steven Dias (Churchill Brothers); Jewel Raja Shaikh, Khan Gembam Jibon Singh, Shilton D'Silva, Lalrindika Ralte (Indian Arrows); Gilbert Oliveira, Francis Fernandes, Anthony Barbosa, Rocus Lamare, Baldeep Singh (Salgaocar SC); Peter Carvalho, Climax Lawrence, Clifford Miranda (Dempo SC); Xavier Vijay Kumar (HAL).

Forwards: Sunil Chhetri (Chirag United); Jeje Lalpekhlua (Indian Arrows); Joaquim Abranches (Dempo SC); C.S. Sabeeth, Anil Kumar (Viva Kerala); Sushil Kumar Singh (Kingfisher East Bengal)

No football academy for now: Chelsea CEO

MARGAO, OCT 21
One of the leading lights of the world soccer, Chelsea Football Club Chief Executive Officer Peter Kenyon on an invitation from the All India Football Federation (AIFF) made an unofficial visit at the Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, on Tuesday morning.

Kenyon who kicked off the Salcete Football Club’s Elvino Lawrence Memorial Football Festival at SAG Sports Complex, Fatorda, today, disclosed that his visit to the state was purely based for the promotion and development of the game.

While taking to media person, Chelsea CEO said that there was nothing official about an agreement with the All India Football Federation but felt both the parties could sit across and decide about the future.

On further prodding, Kenyon who was the masterminded in the revolution at Stamford Bridge disclosed that the Blues will not set up a football academy nor the former EPL Champions will make an earlier visit to the country.

“The football academy cannot be set up of now; it cannot be done in hurry. So, it’s not possible and Chelsea will not be able to play here in India,” said Kenyon.

Kenyon’s words certainly will come a big disappointment to the massive Chelsea followers who were hoping for some football magic from the boots of Frank Lampard, John Terry, Didier Drogba, Michael Ballack, Florent Malouda, Michael Essien, Joe Cole and Deco.

The world’s highest paid football executive was impressed by the I-League set up in India and urged that the clubs should be more professional. He suggested that steps should be taken by the Indian clubs to take football to great heights. The clubs form the backbone of football and they should take the initiate to infuse more professionalism. “The right approach towards the game will only lead to the betterment of football,” Kenyon added.

Under the leadership of Kenyon, the Chelsea football club has been transformed and he is widely regarded as one of the world’s soccer leading executives with an unparalleled network of contacts across FIFA, UEFA and the commercial world.

Peter Kenyon was instrumental in the clubs two record commercial deals - a new shirt sponsorship with Samsung, the biggest in Premiership history at the time and a new kit supplier together deal with Adidas worth around 96m pounds over 8 years.

Most importantly on the field Chelsea won the Premiership, Carlin Cup, FA Community shield in the 2004-05 season and a second successive Premiership in 2005-06.
The Federation Secretary Alberto Colaco said that the Federation would lay more emphasis on Administration and systematic coaching.

The chief Indian Coach Bob Houghton who was also present echoed his feelings and said that the expertises of the sport would further help to improvise Indian Football.

The All India Football Federation had signed an MOU with Bundesliga, protocol with Portuguese Professional League and also sought help from the Brazilian Football Federation to bring professionalism in Indian soccer. India is one the seven pilot countries in the Vision Asia development projects along with neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iran, Oman, Vietnam and China.

Among those present for the press briefing were GFA President Joaquim Alemao and Ben Wells Profile, Head of Sponsorship, Chelsea Football Club.

Source:oheraldo.in

Chelsea Continue Indian Penetration

Chelsea CEO Peter Kenyon told Indian media in Mumbai on Tuesday that the London club wants to build a better a relationship between with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) in order to help develop Indian football.

Kenyon arrived in India on Monday morning and met the AIFF general secretary Alberto Colaco and Indian national team coach Bob Houghton in Goa.

In a press briefing Kenyon said that India’s economic rise as a global powerhouse cannot be ignored.

“Indian football is better structured than before and there are exciting developments happening in this part of the world and I-League for sure is one of them,” Kenyon said.

On being asked the subject of his discussions with the Indian FA, Kenyon said, “There have been no specific areas of discussion but, as a club, we have a series of skills areas we would like to explore.”

The 54 year old also pointed that nothing has been formalized with the Indian FA though the two organizations are looking at a long term tie-up.

This is Kenyon’s third visit in a year or so to India. He first came in November last year along with the then Mayor of London Ken Livingstone.

At the time, Kenyon asked the AIFF to ‘identify various areas in which Chelsea to work with the AIFF and the clubs’, according to Mr.Colaco.

Indian national team coach,and former Fulham player, Bob Houghton was pleased with the talks with the Chelsea boss.

“They (Chelsea) are a great example of big football. India is still part of the developing football world and we ought to derive maximum benefit from them as it can set a great example for football in India.”

Source:Goal.com

Chelsea CEO On Indian Football

Chelsea CEO Peter Kenyon in a press briefing stated his desire to build a better a relationship between the English Premier League club and the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to help develop Indian football especially in the skill development areas.

Kenyon arrived in India on Monday morning and met the AIFF general secretary Alberto Colaco and Indian national team coach Bob Houghton in Goa. In a press briefing Kenyon mentioned that India’s economic rise as a global powerhouse cannot be ignored.

“Indian football is better structured and there are exciting developments happening in this part of the world and I-League for sure is one of them,” Kenyon was quoted saying.

On being asked the subject of his discussions with the Indian FA, Kenyon said, “There have been no specific areas of discussion but, as a club, we have a series of skills areas we would like to explore.”

The 54 year old also pointed that nothing has been formalized with the Indian FA as they two organizations are looking at a long term tie-up.

This is Kenyon’s third visit in a year or so to India. He first came in November last year alongwith the then Mayor of London Ken Livingstone.
Kenyon had then requested the AIFF to ‘identify various areas in which Chelsea to work with the AIFF and the clubs’, according to Mr.Colaco.

Indian national team coach Bob Houghton was pleased with the talks with the Chelsea boss. “They (Chelsea) are a great example of big football while India is developing football world and we ought to derive maximum benefit from them as it can set a great example for football in India.”

Source:Goal.com

Indian managers eye ACL seminar

KUALA LUMPUR: Managers from 10 I-League teams are looking forward to enhancing professionalism within their clubs by attending next week’s AFC ACL General Managers Seminar here.

The seminar is aimed at helping Member Associations and clubs keen on taking part in next year’s revamped AFC Champions League competition to become more professional and efficient.

Next year’s professional league is only open to associations and clubs that have met stringent AFC criteria regarding professionalism, commercial viability, stadiums and fan base.

Mumbai FC, currently second in the I-League, is one of the Indian teams hoping to become part of Asia’s biggest club tournament next season.

Manager Henry Menezes was quoted by the Times of India as saying: “This seminar would definitely be an eye-opener for us. It's important if we want to develop the game in India. We have to understand how to run a club on professional lines.”

Sukhwinder Singh, manager of fifth-placed JCT, added: “Definitely, the seminar will increase our knowledge on how to work with a pro club.”

Also attending the October 28-29 seminar in Kuala Lumpur will be Jose Custodio, manager of AFC Cup semi-finalists Dempo.

Apart from India, team managers from Australia, China, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Qatar, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, UAE, Uzbekistan and Vietnam are expected to participate in the seminar.

Source:The AFC.com

Vital week for Pro League hopefuls

AFC Champions League

KUALA LUMPUR: An important milestone in the run-up to next year’s revamped AFC Champions League (ACL) will be reached over the next seven days when top officials from Asia’s leading clubs take part in two ground-breaking seminars.

Over the weekend, 36 officials will attend the AFC Local General Coordinator Seminar at AFC House, aimed at enhancing the standard of match operations in the ACL and other AFC competitions.

This will act as a warm-up to the main event, the ACL General Managers Seminar at the PJ Hilton, on October 28 and 29, featuring 163 officials representing the elite clubs of 14 countries.

The ACL meeting will offer club managers the chance to improve the administration of their own clubs in terms of professionalism and efficiency.

They will also learn about marketing, communications, general management and other aspects of running a football club.

It is hoped that the managers will apply this knowledge in their home leagues and help their clubs and national leagues satisfy the criteria to take part in next season’s ACL.

There are 14 countries who have complied with first-phase requirements for the ACL. They are: Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Korea Republic, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan.

However, not all 14 are guaranteed places in the 2009 ACL, often referred to as the Asian Pro League.

AFC will give clubs until the middle of December to meet the required criteria, failing which they will be unable to participate in the elite tournament. It is understood that, so far, seven countries have reached the standards.

Source:The AFC.com

Houghton's blueprint for Indian football

National football coach Bob Houghton has suggested that the Indian domestic structure be revamped further to continue the progress made by the team since his tenure began 27 months ago.

As per the blueprint submitted to the All India Football Federation, Houghton wants tournaments like the century-old Durand Cup in Delhi [Images] to be played during the pre-season between July and August, so that teams can use it as a preparatory ground ahead of the I-League's September start.

"The structure of domestic football needs to be changed further if India needs to compete well at the international level," Houghton said.

"We have qualified for the 2011 Asian Cup. Two days ago our under-16 team finished in the top 12 in Asia. Our I-League team (Dempo) is in the semi-finals of the AFC Cup. We now need to look ahead," the Englishman said in Mumbai on Friday.

The AIFF has already implemented Houghton's idea of holding I-League matches concurrently with the state league between September 2008 and April 2009, but from the next season the plan given by the national coach envisages nine months of I-League with matches conducted on week-ends only.

"From the 2009-10 season the I-League and state leagues need to be conducted concurrently from September to May with the I-League ties only on Saturdays and Sundays and state league matches on Wednesdays and Thursdays," he said.

Houghton said he has already had discussions on this issue with Mumbai clubs on Thursday and he'll proceed to Kolkata next for taking up the matter with the clubs there before meeting representatives of the clubs in Goa [Images], where he is based.

"In order to go forward it's very important that we get a connect in the whole of Indian football," he said.

Emphasising the importance of the national league and the state leagues, which he said would serve as a feeder system, to work closely, Houghton said that for a country to become better at the international level a strong domestic league is vital.

Houghton said that the state leagues could use under-19 and under-16 players more and give sufficient rest to I-League players who are not allowed to play in the next state league tie if they had turned out for more than 45 minutes in the previous I-League match.

"From the next season the I-League should see 14 or 16 teams so that they get to play 26 or 30 matches each," he said.

"We also need to conduct the Federation Cup, which is the main qualifying tournament for events at the Asian level, but not in the way it has been conducted so far by which some teams get only one match to play before they get eliminated.

"The idea is that the preliminary rounds are played with the teams divided into groups of four each," he said, adding, "This is a much better structure for Indian football."

Houghton said he plans to conduct a national camp from January 2-16, 2009 in Dubai during the course of which the Indian team may play one friendly match.

"In July 2009 we have the Nehru Cup, then the World Cup qualifiers (for 2014 finals) in December 2010, followed by the Olympic [Images] qualifiers in February, 2011 and then the Asia Cup in June 2011," Houghton elaborated.

The national coach said India should target the 2018 World Cup with their current under-19, under-16 and under-13 players in mind.

"This is 2008, we have seven years to prepare for the 2015 qualifiers," he declared.

Source:Rediff.com

Annual installment to Indian football

New Delhi, October 20 Wung United play only one tournament a year but the Manipur club has provided ample players to big teams For Wung United, change is the only constant. The defending champions of the RN Tamchon Trophy have only one thing in common, year after year — their impeccable performance in this tournament, the only one the club plays in every year. The team composition keeps changing and team officials move on to other things apart from football, allowing another set of faces to take centrestage — all this, for some exposure and in search of greener pastures.

On Monday, they entered the semi-finals of the 2008 edition, thrashing DMZP 3-1 at the Ambedkar Stadium. And this when they are not officially registered as a club, something they do not seem too concerned about. “I have heard people call our club and the tournament a ‘local’ one. The basic idea behind the tournament is to highlight the talent of the North-East,”says this year’s team manager Apan Shimray, who earns a living teaching English Literature at Jamia Milia Islamia University. “Apart from the infrastructural and financial shortcomings, what we really miss is the media coverage back home. Now, we have seventeen Delhi-based players out of the 22,” he adds.

The team has scored six goals in four matches compared to 25 goals in six matches last year and is without six of their main players from last year, but Shimray is not upset. On the contrary, he is proud of the six who are absent — since they are all playing for bigger clubs.

“Duidong was picked by Mohammedan Sporting of Kolkata while Ninglei and N Shimrah joined Churchill Brothers. Achan Keising is now playing for a Mumbai club after a few coaches and officials from these clubs spotted them. That’s the purpose of this tournament,” adds Shimray.

One of the six was Sochungmi Raleng, the highest scorer for Services in Santosh Trophy 2008 and currently on a one-year contract with I-League debutants Chirag United. “He (Raleng) was playing for Army XI and then we arranged for his participation in the RM Tamchon Trophy last year. He scored thirteen of the twenty-five goals that we scored.

Three months later, he went to become the highest scorer at the Santosh Trophy and now he is in the main striker for Chirag United,” Shimray adds.

Coach Edmund Hungshi says co-ordination is not an issue. “We prepare in advance through the thirteen units that monitor students from the North-East in various colleges of Delhi University. Then, the sports union of various institutions gives us the best opportunity to finalise,” he says.

Hungshi’s own identity gives an idea what Wung United’s identity is all about. After introducing himself as a former u-14 representative for Manipur, he reveals that he is also a Zakir Hussain College pass-out and has been a coach for two years at Apex School.

And after October 25th (the final day of the tournament), he will go back to studies — reading a few preparatory books on Civil Services. In the other quarter-final on Monday, Sinlung HSA FC beat Chandel United 2-1.

Source:Expressindia.com

Chelsea CEO Kenyon meets AIFF officials in Goa

PANAJI: Chelsea chief executive officer Peter Kenyon arrived in Goa on Monday and was received by AIFF secretary Alberto Colaco who said the visit would hopefully help cement a relationship with the English Premier League giants.

Colaco also said there's no agenda involved but talks will be held on the overall development of the game in the country.

"We are having a discussion right now. There will be an unofficial interaction with the media tomorrow," Colaco, who is in Goa now, said.

The world's highest paid CEO's visit is aimed at understanding Indian football and to develop the relationship between Chelsea and AIFF.

Senior national team coach Bob Houghton, who cut short his visit to Kolkata to be here for the meeting, met Kenyon along with AIFF officials and those from the Bharti Group to chart out a comprehensive development programme.

Chelsea were the first major team to sign an agreement with the Asian Football Confederation as official football development partner of AFC's Vision China project.

Source:Timesofindia.com

Exclusive: Lyon Official Met AIFF

French club Olympique Lyonnais were in India last week and held talks with the officials of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) in Delhi, Goal.com exclusively reveals

The director of marketing Olympique Lyon Mr.Mathieu Malkani met AIFF general secretary Mr.Alberto Colaco last week.

A official from the Indian FA confirmed the same on anonymous grounds and said, “Yes, Lyon were here last week. “They had basically come to understand what Indian football was all about and explore opportunities. India is a growing market and they showed their eagerness to know what was happening in this part of the world.

“At the same time, we got to know more about French football and Ligue 1.”

Lyon are the current Ligue 1 champions and have won seven straight league titles, a feat unmatched in French football.

Source:Goal.com

Novel Ways Of Promotion - Music

The Governor’s Gold Cup has kicked-off and the Sikkim FA has come out with novel ways to attract the crowds by having a theme song for the tournament which is very youthful and appealing. This is certainly a lesson for the people who run the I-League. Are you there?

The north-eastern region is known for its love for football and rock music. Every second fellow on the street would have played football and would be talking of Metallica and Jimi Hendrix.

The media manager for the Governor’s Gold Cup Mr.Shyam Pradhan had this in mind when he asked his sons – Girish and Yogesh to come up with a song.

“I asked Yogesh that can we do something and he composed the music instantly. Girish wrote the lyrics and lent his voice to the song. It was all done in a couple of days,” informs Mr.Pradhan.

The song was released way back in 2003-04 season when the Governor’s Gold Cup returned to the Paljor Stadium which underwent renovation for four years.

Since then, football fans in Sikkim have been humming this song at the stadiums as it has been advertised aggressively on the local TV and radio channels.

“The lyrics are Football my name, football my game, football my pride, football my passion…,” said Yogesh.

And what got the two brothers to come out with this song?

“We are musicians and this was part of our metal band Anarchy,” adds Yogesh, who is an audio engineering student and now is part of another band called ‘Carnage’.

Does the I-League have a song of its own? Not that I have heard of…

Source:Goal.com

Governor's Gold Cup: Striker vs Keeper Once Again!

Chima Okorie will face up to old adversary Rajiv Kumar as both men try to guide their respective sides into the semi finals of the Governor's Gold Cup...

Former bitter adversaries (on the field), Cheema Okeri and Rajiv Kumar will be plotting each other once more as their respective teams New Delhi Heroes and Titanium (Kerala) clash on Monday at Paljor Stadium here for a semifinal berth in the 30th All India Governor's Gold Cup football tournament.

Cheema is coaching New Delhi Heroes while Kumar is coaching the Kerala side. Speaking to reporters, Kumar recollected how he and Cheema always used to play against each other right from the university level. "I was the goalkeeper for my university and club, Titanium while Cheema used to play against me from Mohan Bagan. We used to compete against each other as players and now we are playing each other as coaches. We have a lot of respect for each other", said Kumar.

Commenting on his team, the Titanium coach said that it's a basically a young side. The odds are pitted against the Kerala side as it is their first match in the tournament. "The climatic conditions here in Sikkim are completely different from Kerala and also it our first match", Kumar said.

Meanwhile, New Delhi Heroes coach Cheema was his usual cool self when asked to comment on tomorrow's game against Titanium. "There are no special preparations whatsoever and we are going to be our normal self for the match against Titanium", he said.

However, Cheema added that his team is very unfamiliar with the Kerala side. "I have no clue what their team looks like. But If we play 30 percent better than our last game, I think we will win. We could not play better football in our previous game as it was our first match here in totally different conditions", Cheema said.

Source:Goal.com

Governor's Gold Cup: Tata Thrash DKKKS Bangladesh

Tata Football Academy entered the semi finals of the Governor's Gold Cup in style, thrashing Bangladesh Club DKKKS 4-0...

In a thumping win, Tata Football Academy (TFA) thrashed a listless Bangladesh club, 4-0 in today's match to storm into the semis of the 30th All India Governor's Gold Cup being played here at Paljor Stadium.

Goals from Jagtar Singh, Gurjindar Kumar, Niroshan Mani and Robin Singh completed the rout. TFA completely dominated the game from the word go and scored early in the 19th minute against DKKKS, the Bangladesh club due to the misadventure on the part of its goalkeeper, Aminur Islam.

The Bangladesh side goalkeeper rushed well outside his box to clear a long ball but was beaten to it by TFA player Jaganath Saha who passed the ball to his striker Jagtar Singh. Even then the goal could have been prevented as Singh's weak shot had been covered by the Bangladesh defender Narayan Paul. However, Paul managed to kick only air when he tried to stop the ball which rolled into the net. The game ended at 1-0 at the interval.

After the break, TFA players continued from where they left the match in the first half and sprayed a flurry of attempts in the Bangladesh goal. They were rewarded in the 66th minute with a fine shot by Gurjindar Singh. Any distant attempts of Bangladesh club coming back to the game was killed in the 74th minute when TFA substitute Nirosh Mani slammed home the third goal on a rebound.

Robin Singh completed the rout when playmaker Subodh Kumar backheeled the ball into his path to poke home the fourth goal of the match for TFA.

With this win, TFA became the second team to clinch a berth in the last 4 along with Army XI.

Source:Goal.com

Governor's Gold Cup: Armymen March On To Semis

Army XI beat the Jammu & Kashmir Bank side today at the Paljor Stadium, in a display that'll send a message to other tournament contenders...

In a display of free flowing and fast football, Army XI today brushed past Jammu and Kashmir Bank by 1-0 to storm into the semis of the 30th All India Governor’s Gold football tournament in a match played here at Paljor Stadium.

The victory margin would have been much higher had the armymen capitalized on several opportunities throughout the match. Finally when the game looked to be heading towards extra time, midfielder Thiru blasted a loose ball into the J&K Bank’s net in the 81st minute. The ball had fallen favourably into his stride during a goal mouth melee.

Earlier, Army XI had a goal disallowed in the first half for offside. The army team also saw a shot hit the bar in the 50th minute of the game. Much fitter and skillful, Army XI dominated the game from the word go and created heavy pressure for J&K Bank.

A goal was always in the cards as the Army XI moved ahead with purpose and vision, and only the finishing touches were missing. Credit also goes to J&K Bank defense especially its Nigerian stopper Martins Kolewole for preventing a blood bath.

Army XI now awaits the winners of the third quarterfinal match between Titanium (Kerela) and New Delhi Heroes in the semifinals.

Source:Goal.com

Governor's Gold Cup: Monks Are Footy Mad!

The Governor's Gold Cup is a mega event in Sikkim to say the least, and attracts people from all walks of life to the ground. Strangely, monasteries in the region are mysteriously less crowded during matchdays. Any guesses why?

Their passion for the game was first portrayed in an award winning Hollywood production - The Cup- directed by Khyentse Norbu, a monk himself - but the people in red robes here are really crazy for soccer. This is evident from the large number of monks who make it to the Paljor stadium here to watch teams and players in action on the field vying for the 30th All India Governor’s Gold Cup football tournament every day.

Even if there is less turnout of spectators in some of the intial matches, the tournament has a steady and loyal group of football fans in red robes that come to watch the matches in progress everyday giving their holy rituals at monasteries a miss! Monks from different age groups are a standout feature in the stands of the stadium in the flowing red robes.

A considerable number of monks had turned out yesterday to lend their support and vocals to the Tata Football Academy (TFA) who entered into the quarterfinals by defeating Railways FC in tie-breaker. An ardent soccer fan, Chepel, who is studying at the Chorten monastery here said, “Our favourite team is TFA who will lift the Gold Cup for the second time”.

Chepel was accompanied by several of his monk friends who have utilized the Sunday break to watch today’s game against Army XI and Jammu and Kashmir Bank. “We think that Army XI will win this match as they are much stronger and physically fit”, said Tashi, another monk studying here in a monastery in Gangtok.

But the overall favourite team of the monks religiously following the tournament is TFA. And the ‘red’ numbers are set to swell up on Monday when their favourite team TFA runs into a strong Bangladesh XI for a berth in the last four. The monks in their flowing red and yellow robes dot the hills side gallery and sometimes make it to the galleries on the right side of the stadium. A few of them even managed to find a seat near football icon Cheema Okorie, who is coaching the New Delhi Heroes in this tournament.

However, the monks are missing their two favourite teams-Bhutan and Tibetan National Football Academy. Both these two teams who used to be regular attractions in the Gold Cup here could not attend this 30th edition. Several monks studying here are from Bhutan while there remains a traditional support base for the Tibetan side. Despite the absence of their favourite teams, monks are coming to watch the Gold Cup and their numbers grow as the tournament progresses to the final showdown.

The organizers, Sikkim Football Association acknowledges the steady and loyal turnout of the monks and do not forget to thank the monks every year for their presence when they give the vote of thanks after the final. SFA general secretary Menla Ethenpa said that the association is seriously thinking to hold an inter monastery tournament for the monks studying in various monasteries in Sikkim from next year. “The monks not only come to see the Gold Cup action but also show their presence during all other tournaments including the Gangtok football league”, said Mr. Ethenpa.

With such a loyal fan base in place, a little more visibility for the tournament could do wonders for it, and evnetually make it evolve into an event which is looked forward to by all Indian football lovers, not just the Sikkimese. And if we indeed want the country to progress football-wise, we as fans need to show a lot of spirit, something that we could probably learn from the monks.

Source:Goal.com