Can a rampant TN go all the way?

S.R. Suryanarayan

Quarterfinals throw up challenging matches

— Photo: K. Pichumani

KEY MAN: Tamil Nadu’s Kulothungan (right) has been in the thick of things. CHENNAI: The 63rd edition of the National football championship for the Santosh Trophy is now about the fortunes of eight teams, all former champions barring host Tamil Nadu, which still remains an aspirant, having reached the title-round once, way back in the 1972-73.
Tamil Nadu thus is the odd one out but ironically, among the four teams that came up the rungs, the best one on view till date. Goals have been aplenty from this team, a reward for the concerted efforts and the man who made all this happen is K. Kulothungan, soon to don the Mohun Bagan colours.
Tremendous skill His ball skills and ability to control the midfield have been exceptional. Twice in the matches thus far Kulo showed his brilliant ability to fire headers with the accuracy of a sharp shooter.
Equally admirable has been the way he distributed passes that at once decimated the rival defence even as it prompted the forward line for the ‘kill.’ As Muthu and Riju would vouch they owe much to their skipper for the goals that came their way. Riju in fact leads the scorers table as on date.
Be it in the midfield (where Justus Antony is an able foil) and in defence, filled with I-league players Ravanan, Kali Allaudin, Premkumar and Pradeep, the host has options.
Can this alone ensure adequate insurance in a group which has reigning champion Punjab and 29 times champion Bengal, not to forget the emerging force from North East, Manipur?
Tough group This is a group of imponderables. Consider Manipur, a technically sound squad, a team that counter attacks with panache. The players’ coordination and slick movements make them tricky customers.
In all, Manipur has ten I-League players. Players to watch are right-back Raju Mangang, skipper and central-midfielder Chitrasen Singh, wingers Khenthang Paite and Reisangmi Vasum who all play for Churchill Brothers, centre-back Samananda Singh, midfielder Bisheshwor Singh and striker Joychandra Singh (all Sporting Clube de Goa).
Vasum has already slotted in five goals while another striker Singam Subash Singh, Air India’s top scorer last season has scored four goals, more importantly scored in every match.
Both Punjab and Bengal have come in search of landmarks. Coach Jagir Singh is confident of a good show by Punjab which has a majority of JCT players. A victory here will make it a hat-trick of titles for Punjab besides giving it an overall nine wins.
Jagir specifically mentioned Anwar (captain), Rakesh Masih and Baldeep Singh as the ones to watch. “All teams play to win and we are no different. Lets see what happens,” he said.
Bengal’s last success was here a decade ago. “That must be corrected. We have a strong side and we should do well. But first we have to watch out for Tamil Nadu,” said Raghu Nandy, the Coach while captain Habibur Rehman Mondal, believes it is “the best side in the last four years.”
Experience Services and Goa spearhead the other group, Karnataka and Maharashtra being the other two. Goa’s strength lay in its experienced I-league players.
Players like Mahesh Gawli and Climax Lawrence, both India players have added strength. Goa has moved into this phase without conceding a single goal.
As for Services, the side represents virtually the same bunch which helped the team reach the title round last year after a gap of four decades.
The focus will again be on Raleng, the top scorer at Srinagar. For sheer resilience and ability to play to the situation, former champion Maharashtra has displayed enough already in its key win over Kerala.
Forwards skipper Steven Dias, Paresh Shivalkar, Alex T. Ambrose and the ever-reliable Kuttymani Sampath Kumar, can be an awesome foursome upfront. Coach Arshad Hussain is a firm believer that “the boys can do it on their own.”
Three years ago Maharashtra missed the title, courtesy Goa. There is an opportunity to make amends. Karnataka also has a mix of experienced players and youngsters. There is much focus on 20-year old Sathish, an under-19 India player. Else it is a side with a predominance of HAL players.
The Groups: A: Punjab, Bengal, Manipur and Tamil Nadu; B: Services, Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka.
Quarterfinal schedule: June 2: Punjab v Manipur (G ‘A’) 4 p.m., West Bengal v Tamil Nadu (G ‘A’) 6.30 p.m.; June 3: Services v Maharashtra (G ‘B’) 4 p.m., Karnataka v Goa (G ‘B’) 6.30 p.m.; June 4: Manipur v West Bengal (G ‘A’) 4 p.m., Tamil Nadu v Punjab (G ‘A’) 6.30 p.m.; June 5: Maharashtra v Karnataka (G ‘B’) 4 p.m., Goa v Services (G ‘B’) 6.30 p.m.; June 6: Manipur v Tamil Nadu (G ‘A’) 4 p.m., Punjab v West Bengal (G ‘A’) 6.30 p.m.; June 7: Maharashtra v Goa (G ’B’) 4 p.m., Karnataka v Services (G ‘B’), 6.30 p.m.
(With inputs from Rayan Rozario (Coimbatore), G. Prasad (Tiruchi) and Karthik Krishnaswamy (Tiruvallur).

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Goa, Manipur storm into quarter-finals

CHENNAI: Hosts Tamil Nadu, former champions Goa and Manipur booked quarter-final berths with easy wins while Maharashtra barely made the grade in the 63rd National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy on Sunday.

Tamil Nadu rode on the goals scored by Muthu, Riju and Kulothungan to thump Haryana 5-0 here. Meanwhile, in another pre-quarterfinal match at Tiruchirapally, Goa blanked Mizoram 3-0, courtesy Joaquim Abranches (44th) and Marcus Mascarenhas (58th and 63rd) fine display on the field.

As if the pitch side temperature that hit an all time high was not enough, Mizoram appeared to test Goa’s resolve with a series of tackles. It took referee Santosh Kumar (Kerala) nine bookings - six to Mizoram - to restore some sort of order. After the initial hustle-bustle, where everyone seemed to kick anyone, Goa eventually settled down and won a spot kick after Reuben Zosangpuia was caught handling Marcus’ header in the 13th minute.

At Thiruvallore, former champions Manipur beat Railways 3-1, while Maharashtra edged past Kerala by a solitary goal in a close contest in Coimbatore. For Manipur, Reisangi Vashum (40th, 79th) and Subhash Singh (19th) scored while Nalanda Chakraborty reduced the margin in the 80th minute. On the other hand, Maharashtra depended on Kuttimani Sampathkumar’s quick reflexes to score in the 83rd minute.

Tamil Nadu, Goa, Manipur and Maharashtra now join four directly seeded sides - last edition winners Punjab, runners-up Services and two semi-finalists Karnataka and West Bengal - in the last eight league round which begins on Tuesday.

Punjab, West Bengal, Manipur and Tamil Nadu make up the Group A while Services, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa form the Group B. In the quarter-final league matches starting on Tuesday, Manipur takes on Punjab while hosts Tamil Nadu plays West Bengal in their first quarter-final league matches. Next day, Services will lock horns with Maharashtra while Karnataka will meet Goa.

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Tamil Nadu looks the stand-out team

Riju, who has scored nine goals, will be eyeing the ‘Golden Foot’ award
— Photo: K. Pichumani

PROLIFIC: P.C. Riju, who has reaped it rich to emerge the highest scorer, has played a big part in host Tamil Nadu’s imperious progress into the pre-quarterfinals of the National football championship. CHENNAI: Eight teams in the fray and only four slots to fill. This is the bottomline at the end of the cluster phase of the Santosh Trophy national football championship. The winners of the four pre-quarterfinals — Kerala v Maharashtra (at Coimbatore), Goa v Mizoram (at Tiruchi), Railways v Manipur (at Tiruvallur) and Tamil Nadu v Haryana (in Chennai) — will join the semifinalists of last year’s nationals held in Srinagar in the quarterfinal league.
The winners in Chennai and Tiruvallur will join Punjab (holder) and Bengal in Group ‘A’, while those in Coimbatore and Tiruchi will join Services (last year’s runner-up) and Karnataka in Group ‘B’.
Among the aspirants, host Tamil Nadu stands out if only because it has scored the maximum goals in the cluster phase (25). Current top scorer P.C. Riju has already notched up nine goals and looks all set to win the Rs. one lakh Winwind ‘Golden Foot’ award instituted by a private company. But this goal-glut could also form Tamil Nadu’s weakness, for it has so far encountered sides way down in standards without exception, and is yet to be pushed let alone face a battle.
Master tactician That is also coach P. Thulasi’s worry. He has experimented with his bench strength and undoubtedly none lacked finesse. Clearly the I-league players’ influence is rubbing off on the entire side. Skipper Kulothungan looks a master tactician, nimble on his feet, clever with his distribution, and capable of doubling as striker and midfielder.
Up front, Muthu has vibed well with Riju, while Pradeep, Bengkok and Suresh Kumar raid down the wings with the hunger of predators. Tamil Nadu’s defence looks capable in the hands of Ravanan, Kali Allaudin, Premkumar and Mohanraj. In goal, Nidhin Lal is still to be disturbed and another class keeper in Sathish (the Dempo custodian) is still to make an appearance. Overall the picture looks rosy.
But not for Thulasi. Having watched Haryana down Bihar even if not on a spectacular note, he says, “Haryana is a difficult opponent. They are working their moves well.” Confirming his fear is the view of Haryana manager Hansraj who says, “it is not beyond my team to beat Tamil Nadu.”
At a time when there are serious efforts in Haryana to prop up football (and the results have begun to show at the junior level) the senior side — with a sprinkling of players from Amity United Club, a private sector effort to raise a professional side — has shown order in its approach.
Positive outlook The kingpin is skipper Pawan Kumar, who controls the game with his touches, free kicks and passes. Ball possession and cohesiveness have been Haryana’s plus points. Both teams are positive in outlook and the one that grabs the initiative will take all.
At Red Hills, Manipur has scored eleven goals and Railways just two, but that may not tell the true tale. Railways looked quite comfortable in both its 1-0 wins, and coach Soundararajan’s strategy of employing a midfield diamond with playmaker Mehtab Hussain of East Bengal just behind the strikers, has worked well. The return of striker Abhishek, who scored against Delhi but also got himself sent off to miss the Assam match through suspension, is a boost for Railways.
Manipur’s football is on a strong footing now after the Vision Asia programme, and this was reflected in the flair the players have displayed so far, particularly the overlapping fullbacks and the wingers. Right-winger Reisangmi Vasum, who plays for I-league winner Churchill Brothers, scored a hat-trick against Uttarakhand, and has looked lively throughout.
The pre-quarterfinal involving the two former champions could be a test between Railways’ tactical enterprise and Manipur’s flair, enough ingredients for a close match.
Biggest plus In Tiruchi, Mizoram, pitted against former champion Goa which has a quite a few I-league players in its ranks, seeks to advertise its natural flair.
“It is going to be a tough match. But the fighting nature of the boys is our biggest plus,” says T. Vanlalhluna, Mizoram coach. He is happy that Reuben Zosangpuia will be back after missing Mizoram’s earlier match through suspension. “He is a big asset and will strengthen our defence,” he adds. Mizoram has to cash in on its chances because Goa isn’t likely to provide too many.
Goa coach Mariano Dias says that the arrival of India players Climax Lawrence and Mahesh Gawli has given the squad balance. Sounding cautious, he says, “We don’t take any opponent lightly and that too in the knockout stage. Gaining an early lead is important.”
Coimbatore is another centre which will witness a clash of former champions. Kerala has a young, capable side.
“The forward line is fresh and has plenty of ideas. And its understanding with the halfline has also been very good,” says the experienced coach K.P. Sethumadhavan. Maharashtra on the other hand has a neat blend of professional players. As Sethumadhavan puts it, “Their boys are individually very good. And, also most of them are professionals.” Kerala needs a clear strategy to upset Maharashtra’s calculations.
Says Maharashtra coach Arshad Hussain, “We know the strengths of Kerala players and our boys are going to play their natural game.” For the record, Kerala has twice fumbled to Maharashtra at the final hurdle and once in the semifinal of the national championship. Sethumadhavan and his boys thus have a task on their hands.
Sunday’s matches (pre-quarterfinals):
At Chennai: Tamil Nadu vs. Haryana.
At Coimbatore: Maharashtra vs. Kerala.
At Tiruchi: Goa vs. Mizoram.
At Tiruvallur: Railways vs. Manipur.
With inputs from Karthik Krishnaswamy (Tiruvallur), G. Prasad (Tiruchi) and Rayan Rozario (Coimbatore).

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Petroleum progresses

Amitabha Das Sharma

PATNA: Defending champion Petroleum ensured main round berths in both the men’s and women’s sections with easy wins in the 70th inter-State table tennis championship, here on Monday. North Bengal, with an all-win record, joined Petroleum in the pre-quarterfinals in both the sections.

With National champion, A. Sharath Kamal, arriving late, Petroleum kept up its campaign with the next three men in the order — Subhajit Saha, Zubin Kumar and Devesh Karia.

The results:
Group league: Men:
Round 1: Group A: Petroleum bt Orissa 3-0; Chhattisgarh bt HP 3-0.

Group B: Railways bt Jharkhand 3-0; Karnataka bt Mizoram 3-1.

Group C: N. Bengal bt Kerala 3-0; Maharashtra ‘B’ bt Manipur 3-0.

Group D: Gujarat bt Chandigarh 3-0; U.P. bt Andaman & Nicobar 3-0.

Group E: Maharashtra ‘A’ bt Punjab 3-1; W. Bengal bt Meghalaya 3-0;

Group F: Delhi bt Bihar 3-0; Haryana bt J & K 3-0.

Group G: Tamil Nadu bt Madhya Pradesh 3-0; Assam w/o Tripura.

Group H: Andhra Pradesh bt Uttarakhand 3-0.


Women: Round 2:
Group A: Petroleum bt Assam 3-0.

Group B: N. Bengal bt Chandigarh 3-0.

Group C: W. Bengal bt Madhya Pradesh 3-0.

Group D: Dena Bank bt Bihar 3-0.

Group E: Maharashtra-B bt Delhi 3-0.

Group F: Maharashtra ‘A’ bt Punjab 3-0.

Group G: Tamil Nadu bt Andhra Pradesh 3-0; Assam w/o Tripura.

Group H: Gujarat bt Rajasthan 3-0; U.P. bt Jharkhand 3-2.


Round 1: Group A: Petroleum bt Chhattisgarh 3-0.

Group B: N. Bengal w/o Haryana.

Group C: W. Bengal bt Kerala 3-0.

Group D: Dena Bank bt Manipur 3-0.

Group E: Maharashtra ‘B’ bt Himachal Pradesh 3-0.

Group F: Maharashtra ‘A’ bt Uttarakhand 3-0.

Group G: Tamil Nadu w/o Tripura; Andhra Pradesh w/o J & K.

Group H: U.P. bt Rajasthan 3-1; Gujarat bt Jharkhand 3-0.

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