Bengaluru FC coach Ashley Westwood featured in skysports.com

Image Courtesy : http://i-league.org

Image Courtesy : http://i-league.org

Indian football aficionados are in a delirium after news broke out that Airtel is sponsoring I-League. Before the euphoria settles, we at Football News India wants to share yet another incredible piece of news – Bengaluru FC coach Asley Westwood is featured in skysports.com

There has been quite a buzz about Bengaluru FC, the new entrant to I-league. We have heard our national team captain Sunil Chhetri saying that European standards are set at the club but we never got to know the finer details. Well, this interview brings out the kind of initiatives that Bengaluru FC is bringing to the table.

Sample this :  “We had to get over to them really that this isn’t Indian football as it was in the past where they are used to bringing in their bag, dropping it by the side of the field, doing your two hours, then picking your bag up to go home and that’s it – you’re a footballer for two hours a day. We’ve had to get them to understand they are a footballer 24 hours a day. We supply the top heart-rate monitors, we’ve got recovery monitors and sleep monitors. We give them protein shakes and electrolyte drinks. We have breakfast together an hour before training. We have lunch together and supply four chefs at the lads’ apartment where they all live together.

Read the excellent piece put together by skysports scribe Adam Bate :  Indian adventure

From the battle field – Amad Ahmad Al Kaddour from Syria plays for Churchill Brothers

Image Courtesy : dnaindia.com

Image Courtesy : dnaindia.com

Syrian footballer Amad Ahmad Al Kaddour has signed for Churchill Brothers for the upcoming season of I-league. The talented forward spoke to DNA about the ongoing civil strife in his nation. He is from Aleppo, a city which has been featuring in international news very often these days as it it a city where fierce battle between the opposition and Syrian Army is taking place.

While football is the top sport in Syria, the ongoing civil strife has forced footballers to move abroad to ply their trade. He recounted the horror of getting hit by missiles and gunfire while practicing in Aleppo.

Read more : Syrian football striker Amad Ahmad Al Kaddour urges Indians to pray for the safety of his family back home

 

 

 

Mohammedan Sporting win Durand Cup after 73 years

Image : ndtv.com

Image : ndtv.com

Mohammedan Sporting, the 122 year old Kolkata club won the 126th edition of the prestigious Durand Cup.  Sporting defeated ONGC 2-1 in the finals. They last won the cup before independence in 1940 when they defeated the Warwickshire Regiment. Durand Cup is Asia’s oldest football tournament.

Australian striker Tolgay Ozebey was the hero for Mohammedan sporting by setting up a goal in the 36th minute and scoring one in the 44th minute. ONGC scored a goal in the 56th minute through free-kick but couldn’t eventually match sporting

Read more : Mohammedan Sporting create history, win Durand Cup after 73 years

 

Will a Kerala team participate in Federation cup?

Fed_CupWith Kerala being the hosts for the next Federation Cup, the big question is will a Kerala team get to participate?

With no team in the fray for I-league and no team reaching the final stages of I-league second division last time around, technically there is no place for any Kerala team in the Federation Cup.

If Malayalam media reports are to go by, Kerala FA will be placing a request to AIFF to include a Kerala team for Federation Cup. Kerala Police, SBT and Eagles FC are the names that are being touted. AIFF’s indifference towards departmental clubs means, if a slot is allowed, Eagles FC has a fair chance to make it.

Eagles_FC_Kerala

 

Manjeri, in Malappuram district would be the venue if the ongoing stadium construction gets completed by the time of the championship.

23-member U-16 Squad to leave for Kuwait on Thursday

Image Courtesy : http://www.the-aiff.com/

Image Courtesy : http://www.the-aiff.com/

The 23-member Indian U-16 National Squad for the AFC U-16 Championship (Qualifiers) to be held in Kuwait from September 21has been announced.

The Squad, who have been crowned SAFF Champions recently, will be leaving for Kuwait City, on Thursday (September 19, 2013).

The Boys will be coached by Goutam Ghosh.

The 23-member Squad is as follows:

Goalkeepers: Anuj Kumar (Uttar Pradesh), Subrata Das (West Bengal), M Dheeraj Singh (Manipur)

Defenders: M Jayananda Singh (Manipur), Jerry Lalrinzuala (Mizoram), T Kishan Singh (Manipur), Prosenjit Chakraborty (West Bengal), Amit Tudu (West Bengal), Amey Ranawade (Maharashtra), Krishanu Santra (West Bengal)

Midfielders: Bugde Vineet Bikas (Goa), Bodo Baoringdao (Assam), Kyntiew Kharlukhi (Meghalaya), Surya Tirkey (Jharkhand), Anirudh Thapa (Uttarakhand), Deependra Singh Negi (Uttarakhand), Aaron Franklin (Goa), Laishram Bedashwor Singh (Manipur), Nuruddin (Uttar Pradesh), Hoble Kapil Satish (Goa)

Forwards: Nijwm Muchahary (Assam) Edmund Lalrindika (Mizoram), Krishna Pandit (Chandigarh).

Head Coach: Goutam Ghosh

Content and picture courtesy:  http://www.the-aiff.com

Bengaluru FC I-League match tickets available on Bookmyshow.com

Bengaluru_FC_LogoTickets for the I-league matches of Bengaluru FC that will take place at the Sri Kanteerava Stadium is now available for purchase on bookmyshow.com.

Tickets are definitely affordable and starts from Rs. 40 and the costliest one priced at Rs.1200.

This is a  great initiative to attract fans from the IT city, who also wouldn’t want to take the hassles of purchasing tickets at the stadium counter.

BMS_logo

Buy I-League match tickets Bengaluru FC :  Bookmyshow

Shillong Lajong releases their squad for I-League

Shillong_LajongShillong Lajong FC today released the names of its squad for 2013-14 season.

“These are the registered players in the I-League. The Club is also happy to announce that Minchol Son and Wailadmi Passah is the Captain and Vice-Captain of the Club respectively for the I-League 2013-14 Season,” the club said in a statement.

The team will be departing for Goa tomorrow and will take on Dempo in their first I-League match on the 22nd September, Sunday.

Captian - Minchol Son

Captian – Minchol Son
Image Courtesy : http://www.shillonglajong.com/

The full list is given below:

Lalthuammawia Ralte, Vinay Singh, Kunzang Bhutia, Minchol Son, Wailadmi Passah, Kh. Jibon Singh, Robin Gurung, C.Lallawmzuala, Lalchhuanmawia Fanai, Taisuke Matsugae, Boithang Haokip, Seikhohao Tuboi, Lalramluaha Hmar, Singham Subash Singh, Cornell Glen, Uilliams Souza Silva, Samuel Shadap, Lalrammuana, Rakesh Pradhan, Ongnam Milan Singh

Source : Shillong Lajong FC releases team list for 2013-14 season

Delhi and Maharashtra announce squad for Junior National Championship

Delhi and Maharashtra announced squads for the 49th Junior National Football Championship, for BC Roy Trophy.

Delhi Squad : 

Goalkeepers: Varun Bisht, Raju Kumar, Zameer. Defenders: Gaurav Nora, Rishabh Bhandari, Asish Rai, Mukul Mawari, Mannan Balooni.

Midfielders: Rohhit Kumar (captain), Basant, Akash Prasad, Vivek Chhetri, Vijay Malhotra, Shashwat Dev, Hrithik Arora.

Forwards: Safwan Hashmi, Saurav Rawat, Rpshan C, Nitin Joshi, Jai Minocha, Vikrant Bhati.

Delhi is grouped in Tier-I along with Jharkhand, Assam and Tamil Nadu. Delhi’s first match is against Assam on September 20th.

Maharashtra Squad:

Unmed Kumar at, Abhishek Thote, Ebad Ansari, Rohnit Jain, Kartik Yenurkar, Shahu Mandlik, Maz Ansari, Rahul Das, Shushant Jadhav, Kunal Kunder, Sagar Yadav, Advait Shinde, Ashish Sharma, Jitendra Bining, Vineel Poojary, Ashotosh Bane, Gulsher Ansari, Salim Shaikh, Shoaib Ansari, Sagar Waghela (From wifa.in)

Maharashtra plays their first match against Bihar on September 19th.

 

AIFF planning to scrap Santosh Trophy – AIFF general secretary

SantoshTrophyLogoAIFF general secretary – Kushal Das has said that the federation is mulling over a decision to scrap the national championship – Santosh Trophy as it has lost its relevance.

The report also suggest that AIFF is planning for an Elite residential academy in Goa and Pune.  They are also planning to implement a grass-root programme in Maharashtra with the help from Football Federation Australia.

From now on AIFF would give more impetus to women’s football as women’s football has much better FIFA ranking compared to the men’s team.

On the status of U-17 World cup bid, it was said that AIFF is still waiting for clearances from the government on this. As we reported earlier, the last date to forward our bid is September 30th.

We are guessing these questions were put forth to the AIFF general secretary at the Sportzpower football summit at Delhi.

Read more : AIFF mulling over Santosh Trophy’s future: Secretary

Update : Today, TOI which carried that article (AIFF mulling over Santosh Trophy’s future: Secretary) has put a spin to the whole issue. The new report says that AIFF secretary said that there is a need to make Santosh Trophy contextually viable.

Malayalam news reports are saying that Kushal Das did volt-face over his previous statement which he made during that Sportzpower summit and came out with statement later that he is not against Santosh Trophy and there is no decision to cancel the tournament.

AIFF could change the Santosh Trophy format and is mulling to make it an U23 tournament.  Read more: Santosh Trophy format change on the anvil

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