New Delhi: In an effort to improve India’s chances in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has evolved a unique plan to recruit a group of talented young players from different clubs and field them as its own team in the I-League for the next four years.
According to sources, the AIFF has made a tentative list of 24 probables, who would be offered a four-year contract to play in the I-League as a Delhi based club to be formed by the AIFF. Efforts are also on to rope in a franchisee for the necessary financial support. Most of the players are also in the Asian Games camp.
“These boys will form the core group of the Indian team for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers to be played in 2014,” sources claimed. “Since it was decided earlier that the number of teams in the I-League would be increased to 16, the federation officials mooted the idea of fielding their own team.”
Though the details are yet to be finalised, the AIFF has the plan to make it a model club on the lines of Fifa and AFC guidelines. The players would be paid as per the market rate and receive the best possible treatment.
“Starting next season, this could be the best way to prepare the team for the World Cup qualifiers,” said an official. “Exposing these players to the I-League would be much better than keeping them in long camps. It would be a great achievement even if 10 players from this team make the national team in the end,” he said.
Though the exclusive plan will definitely help the cause of the national team, the established clubs are going to be hit hard. With national coach Bob Houghton already deciding to engage 30 top players exclusively for seven months, till the Asia Cup in January 2011, the clubs may find themselves in a spot of bother if another set of 24 players are kept away by the AIFF for the proposed long-term plan.
“It’s a good idea but the AIFF is committing itself to a huge financial burden,” said an executive committee member. “The cost of players’ payment for the Asia Cup project would be more than Rs. 3 crore. Now, it would be an added burden to form a separate club.
“Unfortunately, none of our sponsors are paying regularly,” he said. “The only solace is that this idea has the full backing of our president, Praful Patel, who has assured all necessary help,” he added.
probables as of now
Goalkeepers: Jagrup Singh (Mahindra), Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (East Bengal) and Ravi Kumar (TFA).
Defenders: Vishal Ravindra Kumar (No club), Abhishek Das and Deepak Devrani (both East Bengal), Inderpreet Singh (Salgaocar), Raju Gaekwad and Lalrozama Fanai (both Pune FC), Souvik Ghosh (Chirag United) and Pramathesh (Dempo).
Midfielders: Akshay Mall, Milan Singh and Vikramjit Singh (all no club), Subodh Kumar (Pune FC), Shilton D’Silva (Mahindra), Sheikh Jewel Raja (Dempo), Lalrindika Ralte (Churchill), Tirthankar Sarkar (Salgaocar) and Jibbon Singh (East Bengal).
Forwards: Jeje Lalpekhlua and Jagtar Singh (both Pune FC), Manandeep (East Bengal) and Malswamfela (Salgaocar).
SALIENT FEATURES
AIFF is planning to form its own club in the I-League mostly with under-21 players.
All the players would be offered four-year contracts.
The team could be regarded as the core group for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers to be played in 2014.
The team would be based in Delhi and a franchisee could be roped in for financial support.
All facilities in the club would be of international standard.
Efforts are on to find another franchisee from south, mainly Bangalore.