Guwahati, June 3 : The Assam Football Association (AFA) today held attitude and fitness problems of the state’s senior players responsible for their failure to qualify for the 34th National Games for the second consecutive time.
The state team bowed out of the group league in the Santosh Trophy National Football Tournament under way in Tamil Nadu.
The 33rd National Games champions, who were eliminated from the group league stage last year, won the first match against Delhi 2-1 and then lost to Railways by a solitary goal last week.
Qualification for the quarter-finals would have helped Assam book a berth for the Jharkhand Games.
“I admit that our planning after last year’s debacle did not click. The players have also shown a poor attitude towards the apex tournament,” said AFA secretary Ankur Dutta.
“The players’ lack of fitness was also responsible,” added AFA vice-president N.N. Singha.
Dutta added that the AFA would organise an under-16 coaching camp at Nehru Stadium here from June 12 to 26 in association with US firm FS Sports, which will sponsor an English UEFA A Licence holder coach, Eric Winstanley.
“Altogether 30 players have been invited to the camp. Bidhan Das, K.K. Singh, Bikash Baruah and Khagen Saikia will assist Winstanley. Bharti Airtel Ltd will sponsor the kits,” Dutta said.
He added that the hosts for the inter-district football tournaments were decided upon but the dates and venues would be finalised by the respective tournament committees within the next 10 days.
Observers have also been deputed to visit the venues.
The AFA also announced the first list of 157 players’ inter-district transfer clearance for the season 2009-10.