Indian Football team may miss out on Asian Games 2014

Asian Games, Football, India, Indianfootball, team, south koreaReports are surfacing that the Indian football team may miss out on participating in the upcoming Incheon Asian games 2014. With Indian Olympic Association submitting a bumper list of 900 people including athletes and officials, to the sports ministry for approval for travelling to the Sept. 19-Oct. 4 Games in the South Korean city of Incheon, sports ministry would be forced to prune the list.  

Lacklustre performance against Pakistan in the recently friendlies have also not helped the team’s chances. SAI director Jiji Thomson was in attendance at the Bangalore stadium when the Indian team comprising  mainly under-23 players took on the Pakistan team.  

Jiji Thomoson was quoted in Times of India saying  :

“I am a football fan and I was present at the match. I can only say that the performance was very disappointing,”

If the team is not cleared by the ministry, All India Football Federation would be forced to pay from their pockets to send the team for Asian games 2014. In an article in The Telegraph a senior official is quoted that the government will not bear the cost of the men’s and women’s football teams in the Asian Games 2014.

“A final decision would only be taken after a week, but there is every chance the government would not bear the cost of the men’s and women’s football teams in the Asian Games. Of course, the AIFF (All India Football Federation) can send the team on their own,” 

However this is not the first time that the football team is being forced out of Asian Games by government. In 1990 and 1994 the government had stopped the football team from going for the Asian Games.

Delhi Dynamos starts grassroots initiative

Delhi, Delhi Dynamos, ISL, Indian Super League, IMG, Reliance, IMG-Reliance, Football, India, Indianfootball, Den Networks, sameer manchandaIn line with its philosophy of creating a difference in the sphere of sports, especially Soccer. Delhi Dynamos Football Club today announced the launch of a novel initiative to take football to the grassroots by tying up with schools of National Capital Region of Delhi. This initiative is of utmost importance to Delhi Dynamos, as it will help identify, nurture and train talent. It will also provide the necessary   platform to the talented young children across Delhi/NCR & the North region. Under this programme, Delhi Dynamos will organize training camps and inter-school tournaments and create opportunities for the young generation. The campaign will kick start with the first ever Junior Dynamos Inter-School Championship, a 7-a-side football tournament, to be played in 4 zones of Delhi/NCR across 3 different age categories (U12, U14 & U17).

Delhi Dynamos FC, Founded and developed by DEN Soccer Pvt. Ltd. (a wholly owned subsidiary of DEN Networks Ltd.), will compete in the Indian Super League (ISL) for top honors against other clubs from India.

LtoR StepbyStep VS DPSThe first leg of the junior championship will be played from 19th-22nd August at Jaypee Sports Complex, Greater Noida and Ajanta Public School, Gurgaon. It will feature the top schools from East Delhi, Noida, Greater Noida and Gurgaon. A week later, action will shift to DDA Sports Complex, Vasant Kunj & Ganga International School as the young prodigies from schools of Central, South, North & West Delhi will showcase their football skills. The Zonal Champions of the Junior Dynamos Inter-School Championship would then get the opportunity to play at the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium training ground as they face each other in a knockout format to seize the ultimate crown – The Junior Dynamos School Champion.

While these players will attack and defend on the field, the Junior Dynamos Scouts will constantly analyze their performance to select the best 100 players (U14 & U17) to be trained under the Junior Dynamos Coaches for the next 2-months on full scholarship. These young players will then play in the Junior Dynamos Elite League at JLN Stadium training ground during ISL match days.

Based on the performance, Scouts would then select the top 30 players (U14) who would form the Delhi Dynamos Youth Team. The chosen stars will undergo a 6-month long training program under the Junior Dynamos Coaches on full scholarship. These players will represent Delhi Dynamos in Youth Leagues across India. Scouting exercise will also continue for the U17 FIFA World Cup 2017 – India Dream Team.

Junior Dynamos City Championship

With a mission to identify talented players and train them using international methods, the Club will also organise the Junior Dynamos Inter-School City Championship at Chandigarh, Dehradun, Jaipur & Kanpur in North India. These inter-school championships will be played in the months of September, October and November 2014.

Junior Dynamos Train the Trainers Program

The success of a footballer’s career depends on the quality of coaching imparted by his gurus. Delhi, Delhi Dynamos, ISL, Indian Super League, IMG, Reliance, IMG-Reliance, Football, India, Indianfootball, Den Networks, sameer manchanda, grassrootsWith an aim to create the next generation of specialized football coaches and equip them with all necessary tools to produce top quality players, the Club has put in motion the Junior Dynamos Train The Trainers initiative. Under this exclusive program, the Junior Dynamos Coaches will conduct a series of 2-day workshops for over 100 P.E. Teachers in Delhi & NCR throughout the year.

Commenting on the Junior Dynamos program, Mr Piyush Goyal, Head new Initiatives-DEN Networks & Director-DEN Soccer, said: “Aligning with schools is the best way to identify and promote talent and football is no exception. We are kick starting this elaborate campaign across NCR and four other cities in the very first edition of ISL .We have seen the passion for Football growing by leaps and bounds. There is raw talent & energy in the youngsters and we are here to channelize this energy. I am confident that with guidance from top notch coaches, and our commitment, these players will surely make a mark at various levels including international tournaments.”

Pakistan defeats India – How it panned out on Twitter

Pakistan football team put up a great show in Bangalore to defeat a shambolic Indian side. India did not have an answer for the two goals Pakistan scored and looked totally lost in most parts of the match.

We went about doing this match review a bit differently. Here we took a look how the match was played out on twitter.

 

World’s Tallest Footballer Kristof Van Hout to Play for Delhi Dynamos

Delhi Dynamos FC today announced the signing of Belgian Kristof Van Hout for the inaugural season of the Hero Indian Super League. An accomplished goalkeeper, Van Hout played for Belgian powerhouse Kristof Van Hout, Delhi Dynamos, Football, Indian Super League, ISL, IMG, Reliance, Racing Genk, Belgium last season.

With the signing of Van Hout, the New Delhi based club has made a fine addition to one of the most vital positions in football. At 6ft10 (2.08m), he also has the distinction of being the tallest professional football player in the world, making him an imposing figure at the goalpost. At the age of 27, he is at the peak of his footballing prowess and will have plenty to offer to the club.

Van Hout burst on to the scene in 2008, becoming the hero of Kortrijk after saving three penalties in the shootout against league champions Standard Liege to help his team progress to the Quarterfinals. This earned him a transfer to none other than Standard Liege itself, with whom he won the Belgian Cup in 2010-11. Van Hout was on the bench for Liege’s matches in the Champions League, including two games against Premier League giants Arsenal.

In 2012, Van Hout made the move to another Belgian superclub, Racing Genk, one year after the club sold prodigious talent Thibaut Courtois to Chelsea. That season, Van Hout led Genk to a 3rd place finish in the Pro League, earning them a place in the Europa League. He also won his second Belgian Cup.

Van Hout will arrive in Delhi fully fit and raring to go. He featured in the Europa League for Genk as recently as February 27 of this year, playing the full 90 minutes against Russian club, Anzhi Makhachkala.

Commenting on his inclusion in the Delhi squad, Van Hout said, “I am eagerly looking forward to playing in India, which has a sizeable fan following for the game of football. I am confident that it will be an enjoyable and fruitful experience to play in Indian conditions.”

On Van Hout joining the team, Delhi Dynamos FC Coach Harm van Veldhoven said, “Van Hout is a seasoned player, who has contributed immensely to his teams in the past due to his fine goalkeeping skills. We are sure that he will display the same alacrity and judgement when defending Delhi Dynamos’ goalpost. His height is a big advantage, especially in close games that go down to penalty shootouts.”

Kristof Van Hout has added to the already impressive line up of international talent assembled at the Delhi Dynamos under the guidance of fellow countryman Harm van Veldhoven. The club has signed prolific strikers Mads Junker and Morten Skoubo, as well as experienced Belgian defender Wim Raymaekers following their strategic tie up with Feyenoord Rotterdam.

Indian Super League lists 49 players for international draft

ISL today announced a list of 49 international players that will feature in the International player draft that will be held in Mumbai. ISL has managed to gather a mix of experienced and young players for the ‘central player draft pool’. The average age of the international players featuring in the draft is 28 and that is quite impressive.

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Pic Credit : https://www.facebook.com/IndianSuperLeague

Spain tops the list of players that are part of the pool with 9 players featuring in the draft. 8 players from France and Czech Republic will also feature in the draft.  Other nations from where players will be part of ISL are Brazil (5), Portugal (5), Colombia (4), South Korea (2), and one each from Argentina, Canada, Serbia, Senegal, Burkina Faso, England, Greece and Cameroon.

According to a PTI report Andy Knee Andy Knee, VP, IMG football said :

“We are thrilled with the calibre of international players who will be participating in the Hero Indian Super League this season. They have the quality, skill, determination and ambition to thrive in India and ensure a great playing product to entertain the fans. These players have committed to play in India given their excitement and belief in the future of Indian football,”

The list of 49 players available for draft are :

Striker: Michael Chopra (England), Arnal Llibert Conde Carbo (Spain), Diego Fernando Nadaya (Argentina), Eduardo Silva Lerma (Spain), Iain Hume (Canada), Ivan Bolado Palacios (Spain), Luis Alfredo Yanes Padilla (Colombia), Miguel Bruno Pereira Herlein (Portugal), Miroslav Slepicka (Czech Republic), Pedro Adriano Veloso Gusmao (Brazil).

Goalkeepers: Andre Matos Dias Pereira (Portugal); Apoula Edima Edel Bete (Cameroon); Gennaro Bracigliano (France); Jan Seda (Czech Republic); Marek Cech (Czech Republic).

Defenders: Andres Felipe Gonzalez Ramirez (Colombia), Erwin Spitzner (Brazil), Henrique Dinis Oliveira Dias (Portugal), Ilias Pollalis (Greece), Massamba Lo Sambou (Senegal), Raphael Romey (France), Sylvain Monsoreau (France), Tomas Josl (Czech Republic), Gregory Arnolin (France), Bernard Mendy (France), Pavel Cmovs (Czech Republic), Youness Bengelloun (France), Johann Letzelter (France), Cedric Hengbart (France), Jairo Andres Suarez Carvajal (Colombia), Jose Miguel Gonzalez Rey (Spain).

Midfielders: Park Kwang-Il (South Korea), Bojan Djordjic (Sweden), Bruno Augusto Pelissari de Lima (Brazil), Cristian Hidalgo Gonzalez (Spain), Edgar Carvalho Figueira Marcelino (Portugal), Francisco Javier Fernandez Luque (Spain), Gustavo Marmentini dos Santos (Brazil), Victor Herrero Forcada (Spain), Jan Stohanzl (Czech Republic), Omar Andres Rodriguez Martinez (Colombia), Saidou Mady Panandetiguiri (Burkina Faso), Bruno Herrero Arias (Spain), Bruno Filipe Tavares Pinheiro (Portugal), Guilherme Felipe de Castro (Brazil), Pavel Elias (Czech Republic), Jakub Podany (Czech Republic), Jofre Mateu Gonzalez (Spain), Do Dong-Hyun (South Korea).

Puma introduces new Arsenal FC kits in style

India, Bangalore, 12th August 2014: PUMA today introduced the much-celebrated Arsenal Football Club kits in India for the 2014/15 football season.  PUMA unveiled the Home, Away and Cup kits through a spectacular Arsenal Tunnel of Time and larger-than-life projections on the facade of Bangalore’s iconic UB City building – Oakwood Suites.  Fans were also treated to a special appearance by Gunner invincible- Fredrick Ljungberg, who launched the new Kits and took 11 Gooners through the Tunnel of Time.

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Freddie unveiling the new Arsenal FC Puma kit

In a one of its kind set up, PUMA created a football Tunnel called ‘The Arsenal Tunnel of Time’, which traces the history of one of the most popular clubs in the Premier League. With signed memorabilia, a Trophy Trilogy with the current FA Cup, The Invincibles Trophy (awarded to Arsenal in 2003-‘04 for remaining unbeaten in the Premier League season) and the Premier League Trophy, as well as photographs of Arsenal legends and key moments from the Club’s history – The Arsenal Tunnel of Time is a fitting tribute to a legendary Club and its rich history.

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Tunnel of time set up by Puma

Arsenal legend Fredrick Ljungberg not only unveiled the Jerseys, but took 11 lucky Arsenal fans for an exclusive walk through the Tunnel of Time. Earlier in the day – he visited the Bangalore Football Stadium and engaged with players from the PUMA Sponsored team – Bengaluru FC as well as students from the Arsenal Soccer Schools – for which he is an Ambassador. PUMA is tied up with Arsenal Soccer Schools as well.

Each of the three Arsenal kits has a unique design, inspired by the values identified by PUMA as being the foundation of Arsenal Football Club that form the basis of the Future, Forever, Victorious story.

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Freddie at the BFC stadium

The blue and lime green Future Cup kit will be worn by Arsenal away from home in Cup competitions, including the UEFA Champions LeagueTM and FA Cup.  It symbolises the desire for innovation and progression that has driven the club through its history, resulting in Arsenal becoming the first team to wear numbers on shirts and the first club to have stadium flood lights so the team could play at night.  It also acknowledges the focus on youth development that has become synonymous with the club.

The home kit stays true to the traditional red and white Arsenal colours that first appeared in 1933. It represents Forever, inspired by the strong and loyal fan base Arsenal has built over the years, and the importance of this community to the Gunners. From the very beginning, Arsenal supporters have been at the heart of the club, a sentiment that stands true today as Arsenal’s appeal continues to spread across every corner of the world.

11 lucky Gooners who got an exclusive tour of the tunnel

11 lucky Gooners who got an exclusive tour of the tunnel

Victorious is the theme of the Away shirt, designed in the iconic yellow and navy blue colours worn by Arsenal during some of the most famous Gunners victories away from home.  Arsenal’s players and supporters have always demonstrated a class and excellence away from home, the yellow and blue colours are inextricably linked with some of the Gunners’ greatest moments including the 1971 and 1979 FA Cup Final wins, and the title winning victory at Anfield in 1989.

Arsenal star Freddie Ljungberg said, It’s great as a former Gunner to see how loved and celebrated the Club is in India. Indian fans know a lot about the Club and the Arsenal Tunnel of Time by PUMA is an incredible tribute to the legacy of the Club and its ever-exciting Future.

Mr. Rajiv Mehta, MD PUMA India said, “We are very excited to be associated with a club as legendary and historic as Arsenal. Arsenal Supporter Clubs in India are among the biggest in the World, and the club boasts a massive following here. Gooners have already bought out the Arsenal jerseys from PUMA Stores around the country and we’re thrilled to be a part of this journey with them”.

The Home and Away Replica kits and a full collection of fan wear is now available for fans to purchase online at www.pumashop.in, in PUMA stores nationwide and Myntra.com. The Arsenal Tunnel of Time will be open for public viewing between Aug 13 and Aug 17 at the UB City Piazza from 11am to 10pm.