Published>Fri, Apr 30 10 08:28 PM
New Delhi, April 30 (IANS) Indian football received a body blow Friday with automobile giants Mahindras announcing the shutting down of their Mumbai-based 48-year-old football club Mahindra United from next season and that they will move on to develop the game at the grassroots level.
The shocking decision comes at a time when Mahindra U are placed second in the I-League and also have an outside chance of winning the title. Started in 1962, the club has been one of the best and has won all major Championships including the Durand Cup, National League, IFA Shield, Federation Cup, President's Cup and the Super Cup. The team has been adjudged champions of the Mumbai Football League 15 times since 1971.
Mahindra United's president Alan Durante told IANS from Mumbai that the company has decided to close the football club and concentrate on school soccer.
'We realised that we were not contributing much to development of the game in the country by running a football club. In India we have just 300-400 players, who get a chance to play club football at the top level. We will work at grassroots level to increase the pool by investing in school soccer,' Durante said.
'Mahindra United emerged as a club to reckon with from Mumbai, and has scaled glorious heights by winning every major tournament in India, the President's Cup in the Maldives and also qualifying for the Asian Football League. I am especially happy that the Group will now strengthen its commitment to this wonderful sport by selecting and nurturing school kids to play on a national stage,' Durante added.
The top bosses in Indian football are now planning to meet Mahindra's managing director Anand Mahindra and persuade him to change the decision. All India Football Federation (AIFF) general secretary Alberto Colaco said he would take up the issue with federation president Praful Patel, who is also the chief of Western India Football Association (WIFA). Patel's tenure as the WIFA president also saw the end of the famous Rovers Cup.
'We haven't received any communication from the club. But we will take up the matter with Mr. Patel,' he said.
But it seems that it would be tough for them to convince Mahindra.
Commenting on this development, Mahindra said: 'This is an important day for us as we move from competitive football and focus our energies and efforts in training young football aficionados. Mahindra United has been an integral part of our legacy and journey in football. We are proud of our team - the players, support staff, and management - who have brought both Mahindra United and Brand Mahindra success and respect. We are sure our new approach will go a long way in giving the sport the fillip it needs in India. We will be able to reach out to many more youngsters, unearth new talent and provide them the opportunity to play on a national platform.'
The players are now a worried lot and feel that the decision has come at the wrong time.
A national team player, on the condition of anonymity, told IANS that now they won't get a good deal from other clubs.
'We just had three matches left in the I-league and they should have waited for some time before making the decision public. Now other clubs will arm twist us and we won't get a good deal. I don't know what will happen to the young players, who have been waiting in the wings to make their debut in the first eleven,' he said.
Source: Web Search
0 comments:
Post a Comment