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He added, a sum of Rs.2,00,000 will be handed over to the legendary footballer
Arun Ghosh and another 2,00,000 will be donated to the Mohun Bagan benevloent
fund on that day.
Tickets will be available at a minimum price of Rs.20, but there will be no free tickets
except the life members of Barasat Vidyasagar Krirangan. The match will commence
at 5:30 pm local time under the newly constructed flood light.
During the half time recess and at the end, popular Bangla band "BHOOMI" (who have already hit the
headlines becoming the first ever musical troupe to perform live in front of the
delegates of the United Nations Organizations and also composed the cheer song
for EURO 2004, that was aired on an international sports channel ).
Apart from all this, Tollywood Superstar Prosenjeet will pay a guest appearence
at the stadium.
STAR ANANDA news channel has agreed to be the media partner of this event.
Among other dignitories Mr. Asim Dasgupta (Hon'ble MIC Finance,Govt. of West
Bengal),Mr. Subhash Chakrabarty (Hon'ble MIC Transport and Sports ,Govt. of
West Bengal),Former India International Mr.Suchir Karmakar, Mr.Utpal Ganguly
(Secretary IFA),Mr.Subrata Dutta (Vice President of IFA and AIFF),SMT.Aparna
Gupta (Sabhadhipati North 24 Pgs Zilla Parishad) and about 40 - 50 Ex Footballers
will be present the occassion.
The association has previously organized benefit matches for Legendary Indian
National Goalkeeper Peter Thangaraj,Famous Stopper of Indian Soccer Sudhir
Karmakar,Famous India International Striker Parimal Dey and they have a plan to
repeat this feat next year again, for Goutam Sarkar and Samaresh Chowdhury,
Ex - National Footballer as well as former pleyers of Kolkata Football League.
Mr. Sarkar added.
GERMANS LOOK TO GATECRASH SPANISH ARMADA
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28.06.2008 :Sudipta Sur:The stage is all in readiness for the “mother of
all battles” in European football! On Sunday (29th June, 2008), the Austrian capital
of Vienna will witness the “grand finale” of UEFA EURO 2008. The Ernst Happel
Stadion would be chock-a-block to bear testimony to a piece of history. Joachim
Loew’s Germany and Luis Aragones’s Spain are the deserved teams to make it to
the summit showdown. After a gruelling action for three weeks, the cream of
European Football has risen to the top and now it remains to be seen who among
Germany or Spain is crowned the conquerors of Europe.
The Germans, who have tasted success on three previous occasions at the
European front, are bristling with confidence. After a not so impressive group
stage performance (they qualified as group runners behind Croatia), the Germans
certainly upped the ante in the knockout stages. An impressive display in the
Quarterfinal against Portugal enhanced their title credentials. Then in that epic
Semifinal against the Turks, Loew’s men once again proved that they are made
up of much sterner stuff. However the journey to the Final hasn’t been all rosy.
The group stage defeat against Croatia proved that there are a few chinks in the
armour. The defence has been letting in goals, though Loew has the utmost faith
in his back four. In goal, Jens Lehmann has had more or less a good tournament,
thus confounding his critics. There were mistakes committed by the German
goalie against Turkey and he would be looking to set the record straight on
Sunday. The midfield has been the real “tour de force.” The likes of Michael
Ballack, Tosten Frings and Bastian Schweinsteiger have had an outstanding
tournament. Ballack and Schweinsteiger are the real reasons why Germany are
sounding so confident ahead of the “big clash.” Loew has reinstated the Polish
born duo of Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski in attack after experimenting with
Mario Gomez earlier. It’s quite evident that Klose enjoys the company of Podolski
alongside him. Loew would, in all probability, go with a 4-4-2 formation against
Spain as that is the one formation which suits his team best. The players are
much accustomed with this pattern as it lends solidity to the defensive line-up
and adds a much needed thrust to the attacking zone.
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Some Past Head TO Head result : Germany Vs Spain
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1966 W.C (First Round) : Germany 2-1 Spain
1976 Euro QF :1st leg: Spain 1-1 Germany
1976 Euro QF :2nd leg: Germany 2-0 Spain
1982 W.C (Second Round ): Spain 1-2 Germany
1984 Euro QF : First Round: Germany 0-1 Spain
1988 Euro QF : First Round: Germany 2-0 Spain
1994 W.C (First Round): Germany 1-1 Spain
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Luis Aragones would be stepping down from the Spanish helm after the Final. The
69 year old is keen to finish on a real high note and his wards have certainly given
him enough confidence to do so.. Shrugging aside their tag of “perennial
underachievers” and overcoming their “quarterfinals jinx”, the Spanish “armada”
has certainly rolled on brushing aside opponents. Garnering maximum points in their
group (which included a 4-1 victory over Russia), set the ball rolling for the Spaniards. The penalty
shootout victory in the Quarterfinal against Italy amply proved that Aragones’s
men have the appetite for the big battle. Guus Hiddink’s Russians could have
spoiled the Spanish celebrations in the Semifinal, but that wasn’t to be. The
“armada” literally brushed aside the Russian “snipers” to set up a Final date with
Germany.
The Spaniards’ display of free flowing, expansive football has been eye
catching to supporters and neutrals alike. In goal, they have Mr. Dependable,
Iker Casillas. The Real Madrid custodian has been leading the side admirably and
his goalkeeping exploits have proved once again that he is one of the best in
business. Carles Puyol and Sergio Ramos have been the real rocks in the Spanish
defence. Much like Germany, the Spanish midfield has been firing on all cylinders.
Villarreal’s Marcos Senna has excelled in the holding midfield role,
providing the much needed cushion for the likes of Xavi Hernandez, Andreas
Iniesta and David Silva to bomb forward. The attacking duo of Fernando Torres
and David Villa has been the shining stars of this tournament. But the absence of
Villa (out due to a muscle strain) might prove to be a crucial blow. However,
Aragones has the likes of Xabi Alonso, Cesc Fabregas, Daniel Guiza and co. to call
upon. In all probability, the Spanish coach would stick to his 4-1-3-2 formation
which has been a resounding success. But in the absence of Villa, Aragones might
alter his plans a little. If Fabregas starts, then he would be slotted in just behind
the lone striker, thus making it a 4-1-3-1-1 pattern. The other option Aragones
has is to start with two forwards, ie, Torres and Guiza, thereby reverting to the
4-1-3-2 format.
It was 1964 when Spain last won the European Championship, their only notable
triumph at the world stage. Since then it has been all downhill for the perennial
underachievers of world football as far as winning major competitions is concerned.
On Sunday, they would be keen to hit the right note. Confronting them would be the Germans, who know what success tastes like at the highest level. They would be keen to showcase that their thirst for success is insatiable. Cries of “Deutshland, Deutschland…” and “Viva la Espana…”
have been doing the rounds of Austria and Switzerland for the past three weeks.
On Sunday, at the Ernst Happel Stadion, Vienna, there would be rapturous
renditions of these “war cries”. All that remains to be seen is which set of
supporters continue to chant vociferously come the end of Sunday night!
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India U - 16 Road to West Virginia :: Visit Fixtures
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24.06.2008:To prepare for an appearance in the Asian Federation Cup in
Uzbekistan in October, India's national soccer team for boys 16 and under will
spend most of July training in Charleston,West Virginia.
Dr.Francis Saldanha is the man responsible for getting the U-16 Indian team in
USA. For years, Saldanha, who played soccer, field hockey and cricket in his
youth, said he was never a standout athlete, has been contributing to soccer
academies and skills contests in his native India."India is a sports-crazy country,
but it's a country that is sadly lacking in programs to develop internationally
competitive athletes," he said.
This year, he decided to take his sports philanthropy to a new level by bringing
the 24 players and six coaches of the All India Football Federation's National Boys
(Under 16) Team to Charleston for three weeks of training and competition,
starting July 1.Saldanha said the current Indian under-16 team "is better than any
other under-16 team to date." The Indian team beat Saudi Arabia, tied Iraq, and
was one of 16 teams to qualify for the Asian Cup. The sponsors of this team
want to take India to the World Cup in 2018."In addition to undergoing a rigorous
training program while in West Virginia, the Indian team will take on eight teams
from across the state, as well as club teams from Ohio and South Carolina.
Six games will be played at Schoenbaum Stadium in Coonskin Park, and one each
will be held at Marshall and West Virginia universities. The U.S. Soccer Federation,
the All-India Football Federation and FIFA, the international soccer governing
board, have sanctioned the games.If next month's training session proves
successful, Saldanha said it could lead to expanded soccer programs for Indian
athletes in the years to come. "I'd like to make West Virginia the training site for
the junior and senior Indian teams," he said. The Madras-born doctor said he
would also like to bring Indian track and field athletes to West Virginia for training.
A total of 7,500 free tickets have been distributed to youth league Footballers
and school team soccer players throughout the area to watch the under-16 India
National Team games at Schoenbaum Stadium.
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Probable Schedule of India U -16 Teams in Virginia - Canada
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July 6 :India U-16 Vs Metro Football Club Ohio
July 7 :India U-16 Vs NCAA Blast Football Club ,Dayton, Ohio
July 12 :India U-16 Vs West Virginia Rowdies, Dayton, Huntington
July 13 :India U-16 Vs Columbia United of Columbia, S.C.
July 18:India U-16 Vs West Virginia Olympic Team.
July 24:India U-16 Vs West Virginia United,Morgantown .
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"KING" Pele robbed by armed youths in Brazil
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23.06.2008 :
Football King Pele lost his Mobile Phone,Gold Necklace, Watch and others by a
group of youths near the city of Santos in southern Sao Paulo state on 13th June
but Pele did not file this report to Police.
Brazilian news Magazine reported that,while Pele was returning from his beach
house near Coast of Santos and was riding in the passenger seat of a car. When
his car was stopped near a slum, he was mobed by at least 10 armed young men
with pistols and knives.
When the gang reached near his car, Pele rolled down the window and told them
who he was, but they robbed him.It has reported later that,the robbers gave back
some of the stolen items after learning who was the passenger.
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German hurdle on a Turkish route
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23.06.2008 : Suman Saha :If the Euro 2008 goes to Munich, then surely
the German players will have to admit that they faced the biggest challenge from
a team in red ,Turkey. A team which has got all the abilities to concede early
goals and come back strongly to win the match. If the performance of the two
teams is something to go by then the first semifinal is surely a mouth watering
delicacy on the menu. Both the have beaten the hot favorite candidates for the
cup in the quarter finals.
The Germans took off the tournament with Podolski’s brace and were shattered
to ground in the very next match loosing to Croatia 2-1. while facing Austria ,
Germany also faced a threat of a shocking first round exit from the Euro. But the
crisis man Michael Ballack with his stunning 40 yards free kick kept the routine as
it should be. The quarter final tie against Portugal was not an easy contest at
any cost with Cistiano Ronaldo in prime form and the German team lacking fire
power upfront with only Podolski scoring 3 of the 4 goals scored in the first
round. But the man who changed the scenario was Bastian Schwanatieger who
powered himself and scored the first goal. It was followed by goals from Miroslav
Klose and Michael Ballack. The defense didn’t play as well as expected conceding
two goals, and with Turkey firing all guns, a slight mistake can result in a upset.
On the other hand Turkey almost returned from the dead against the Czechs
with 0-2 down and 15 mins to go. To win that match 3-2 is surely a highlight of
the tournament. The Croats who were on a high after getting the top place of
the group didn’t manage much against the Turkish all-round performance.
The highlight of the match was surely the keeping of Rustu who can be blamed
for conceding the equalizer and should be credited for stopping three Croat shots
in the shoot-out. Right-back Gökhan Gönül, 23, has been a revelation over the
last 12 months, a possible solution to a problem position for Terim. Hakan Balta
looks the most likely option for the opposite flank. Uður Boral is another option in
the same position, and can play a more attacking role, while Hamit Altýntop has
found a natural home on the right side of midfield. Meanwhile, Emre Belozoðlu and
Mehmet Aurélio's industry are two things Terim can rely upon.
It is a tough match for sure, but who have thought the underdogs to rule. If
Euro 2004 with Greece lifting the trophy has ant significance, Germany will have
to make sure that no such upsets happen this year. Turkey has got nothing to
loose but lot to gain. Thanks to both the teams for providing us with ultimate
soccer experience. And its time for them to face each other. The countdown
begins……..
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AWESOME FOURSOME READY FOR HIGH VOLTAGE SPARK
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23.06.2008 : Sudipta Sur:They say, “Cometh the hour, cometh the man.”
For the four Semi-finalists of UEFA EURO 2008 – Germany, Turkey, Russia and
Spain – the hour of reckoning has definitely arrived! The only question is which
teams have the men to deliver the goods at this crunch hour. As the
Championship nears its climax, the teams have everything to play for.
The two Semi Finals on Wednesday (25th June, 2008) and Thursday (26th June,
2008) will decide which two teams battle for the top prize in European football
come Sunday, 29th June, 2008 at Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadion.
The picturesque setting of St. Jakob – Park in Basel would be the stage for the
1st Semi Final action. Heavyweights Germany lock horns with comeback kings of
the tournament, Turkey. Three times European Champions, Germany, have all the
pedigree going into Wednesday’s clash. Qualifying as group runners up from Group
B (wins against Poland and Austria; loss against Croatia), Joachim Loew’s men
showed their true class in the Quarter Final victory against Portugal. A riveting
encounter saw the Germans prevailing 3-2 at the end. Loew would hope to
welcome back Torsten Frings for the Semi Final. The midfield mainstay was out
due to a rib injury against Portugal. Characteristically, the Germans started slowly
but now that the tournament has entered its business end, they are getting
stronger with every game. Question marks have been raised about their defence,
but Loew has full faith in his back four and expects them to deliver. Michael
Ballack has been one of the driving forces in the tournament so far. Leading from
the front, the German No. 13 has been at the thick of things (attacking and
defending). Bastian Schweinsteiger has been a real revelation. Coming on as a
substitute in the group games and then being red carded has fuelled the blonde’s
resolve. This resolution was amply evident against the Portuguese when the
Bayern Munich man provided a superlative display. Miroslav Klose is once again
back among the goals and this can mean only one thing – Lukas Podolski and
Klose are once again the fearsome duo.
Germany would however be cautious against Turkey. Fatih Terim’s men have defied
all logic to be in the last four. Plagued by a leaky defence, injury worries and
suspensions the Turks have come back from the brink on more than one occasion.
If their come from behind wins against Switzerland and Czech Rep didn’t win over
doubters, then their Quarter Final triumph over hot favourites Croatia certainly
did. Infact the teams who have come up against the Turks have found them a
very tough nut to crack. Breaking up the rhythm of the opposition teams has
been Terim’s modus operandi and they have done it admirably. Against Germany,
the Turks would be bereft of Volkan Demirel, Tuncay Sanli, Emre Asik and Arda
Turan – all key components of Terim’s “Red Army.” But even in their absence
Turkey would be a real force to reckon with as they have proved in the earlier
matches.
Thursday night would pit Guus Hiddink’s Russia against Luis Aragones’ Spanish side
at Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadion. These two teams met in the opening Group D
match but that seems a distant memory. It certainly is so for the Russians who
have improved by leaps and bounds. After the opening match thrashing against
Spain, the Russians regrouped well to record wins against Greece and Sweden.
Then in the Quarter Final against tournament favourites, Netherlands, Hiddink’s
boys displayed some breathtaking football to send the Dutch contingent packing.
Russia’s improvement could very well be attributed to Andrei Arshavin. The Zenit
St. Petersburg medio, who was suspended for the first two games, returned with
aplomb to carry forward Russia’s hopes. Roman Pavlyuchenko has been finding the
back of the net and this augurs well for Russian football. Two notable absentees
would be defender, Denis Kolodin, and attacking midfielder, Dmitri Torbinskiy, who
picked up their second bookings against the Dutch. The appointment of Guus
Hiddink as the national coach has reaped rich benefits for Russia and on Thursday
Hiddink would be keen to prove that Russian football has been entrusted in safe
hands!
Spain, the perennial underachievers in the football world, are determined to put
the record straight this time around. Bagging maximum points in their group
matches only fuelled that belief. The Quarter Final victory against World
Champions, Italy, certainly highlighted Aragones’ title credentials. The Quarter
Final jinx bypassed, the Spaniards can now dream of European glory. In Fernando
Torres and David Villa, they have one of the most lethal strike force combination.
A midfield possessing the likes of Marcos Senna (standout performer in the
holding midfield role), Xavi Hernandez, Andreas Iniesta and David Silva has done
justice to its famed tag. Such is Spain’s bench strength that Cesc Fabregas and
Xabi Alonso are not guaranteed starting berths. Iker Casillas has proved yet again
that he is one of the best goalkeepers in business and his leadership qualities
cannot be questioned either. Barcelona’s “Cave Man”, Carles Puyol would be
confident that he has the requisite qualities to marshal the much criticised
Spanish defence.
So the stage is all set as the stakes get higher in UEFA EURO 2008. Out of the 16
teams competing for glory, 12 have fallen by the wayside. Now only 4 remain and
it is amongst them that we’ll find the new European Champions. Who will it be?
That’s the question doing the rounds; come Sunday night answers to most of the
questions would be provided on the playing field of Vienna.
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Thoughts on Baichung Bhutia being a part of Goal4Africa
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21.06.2008:Abhishek Bhattacharyya:The Goal4Africa project is a program
of development for football and education in Africa.The Goal4Africa fund raising
project is based on a unique concept of scoring goals.The project is inspired by
two major upcoming events:Nelson’s Mandela’s 90th birthday on 18th July,2008
and Fifa World Cup,2010 in South Africa.The body hopes to raise $90 million fund,
in honour of Mandela's 90th birthday on July 18.
The project kick starts on 12th July in Allianz Arena,Munich,Germany.The football
fanatic all over the world will get a chance to catch the football icons in action.
The likes of Seedorf,C.Ronaldo,Essien,Gerrard, Lampard,Kaka,Maldini,Van Persie,Buffon,
Adebayor,Gattusso,Cannavaro,Eto'o,Drogba,Nistelrooy,John Terry and others will be a part of this colossal event.
India and Mohun Bagan captain Baichung Bhutia will also be a part of this event.
Clarence Seedorf has personally invited him to take part in this match.We caught
up with some of our football stars and last but not the least Mrs.Bhutia on their
thoughts on Baichung being a part of Goal4Africa match.Here are the following
excerpts.
Mrs.Madhuri Chitnis Bhutia(Wife of India Captain Baichung Bhutia):”I am
really happy for Baichung.It’s a great honour for him and hopefully I will be there
to see the match in Allianz Arena on 12th July.”
Clifford Miranda(Dempo & India midfielder):”He is a national icon and we are really
happy for him.I wish him best of luck and hope he will make us proud on 12th July.”
Gourmangi Singh(Churchill & India defender):”I m delighted to know that.He is an
inspiration for all of us and we are all happy to see him being a part of this event.”
Mahesh Gawli(Dempo & India defender):”Well ya its great to know that he is part
of this event.I wish him best of luck.It will be great to see him playing with those
footballing giants.”
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Brazil - Argentina w.C Qualifier match ended Goalless
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18.06.2008 :Brazil and Argentina drew 0-0 Wednesday at the Mineirao
stadium in Belo Horizonte, Brazil in a World Cup qualifier on Wednesday.
Brazil coach Dunga was insulted by the fans as his side were held by the
arch rival after the match
Argentina played the more flowing football and will be much happier with the result than the
hosts, despite a double miss by forward Lionel Messi in stoppage-time.
The visitors stopped a run of defeats by their arch-rivals, having lost the previous three meetings
by three-goal margins, and went second in the South American group with 11 points from six
games, two behind leaders Paraguay.
Brazil, beaten 2-0 by Paraguay on Sunday, went third with nine points after completing their third
game without scoring.
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Bol futbol:A project of Indian Football by Artist Riyas Komu
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20.06.2008 : Kolkata :Abhishek Bhattacharyya,Sudipta Sur,Subhransu Roy:
"Mark Him - The 2nd half of the exhibition" -A project of Indian Football by Mumbai
based Artist Riyas Komu kick started today at the Gallery 88,Shakespeare Sarani,
Kolkata.
Indian National Footballers like, Mahesh Gawli,Sunil Chettri,Sandip Nandy,Manjit
Singh, Clifford Miranda,Gourmangi Singh,Rahim Nabi,Steven Dias,Subrata Paul,
Sanjeev Maria, Subhasish Roychowdhury,K.N.Ajayan,Mehrajuddin Wadoo,Dipak
Mondol,Sushil Singh,Sameer Nyek,N.P.Pradeep,Renedy Singh, Surkunmar Singh,
S.Venkatesh,Habibur Rahaman and Isfaq Ahmed of Mohun Bagan,Captain
Padmashree Baichung Bhutia and his wife Madhuri and other eminent personality
were present in this auspicious occassion.
An avid fan of football, Riyas grew up watching India star IM Vijayan in Kerala
before venturing out into the abstract world of art.Komu was born in kerala and
compleated his BFA and Masters in Fine Arts at Sir J.J. School of Art, Mumbai
(1999) Recipient of Hebbar Foundation Scholarship and Bombay art society Award
and has prestigious installations and paitings exhibitions to his credit.
According to Komu a fan of Chelsea F.C of England and Mahindra United of India
and blind supporter of Brazil, said that he decided to work on the football and
footballers because they are not treated well despite being national players.
So on that point, this exhibition is about encouraging Indian Football.
When kolkatafootball.com asked him why he made this exhibition.He said that, his
subject has always been on underdogs and Indian Football, who has been denied
its actual respect, needs to be encouraged.
The exhibition has 27 photographs of current Indian National Footballers and two
watermark painting of Sunil Chettri and Steven Dias.
Komu's next project is on Iraq Football, which according to him is a political
assignment and will be painted photographs of Footballers and Berlin will play the
host city to that exhibition
It was Swami Vivekanda who said, "You will be nearer to Heaven through
football than through the study of the Bhagavad Gita" .Komu always abide by this
great speech of Swami Vivekananda
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Bengal-Peerless is the title sponsor of IFA Trades Cup 2008
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13.06.2008:Kolkata:Trades Cup - one of the oldest Football Tournaments of
the world will start from 16th June,organised by Indian football Association - Kolkata.
In a press meet today at Bengal Club Kolkata, IFA Secretary Mr. Utpal Kumar Ganguly
has released the Fixture of the Historical Bengal Peerless Trades Cup 2008.Chairman
of the Bengal Peerless Group Mr. Kumar Shankar Bagchi was also present in the ceremony
42 football Teams of Kolkata football League will participate in this Tournament.
Ten Groups for 42 teams and Ten seperate Venue has been selected for the Tournament
Winner Prize is Rs. 30000 and Runner Prize is Rs. 15000.
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THE GROUPS ARE
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Gr.'A' : Cal Port Trust (WINNER),Indian Air Force,Kidderpore S.C,CFC (Venue :: Sap II,Barrackpur - North 24 PGS)
Gr.'B' : Rly F.C,Calcutta Customs,ECLSA (WINNER),Victoria Sporting(Venue ::Rishra Municipal Ground - Hooghly)
Gr.'C' : George Telegraph,BNR (WINNER),Wari S.C,Rajasthan Club( Venue :: Barasat Stadium - North 24 PGS)
Gr.'D' : Peerless S.C,SAIL (WINNER),Southern Samity,The Muslim Institute (Venue ::Kalyani - Block A -Nadia)
Gr.'E' : Eastern Railway,Garalgacha S.C(WINNER),M.Milan Samity,Sonali Sibir (Venue ::Kalyani Bandu Dal Ground)
Gr.'F' : Mohammedan A.C,Barisha Sporting,Milan Bithee (WINNER),(Venue :: Howrah Stadium)
Gr.'G' : Police A.C (WINNER),FCI,Kalighat Club,Salkia Friends (Venue ::Mohun Bagan Ground)
Gr.'H' : Tollygunj Agragami (WINNER),Taltala Institute,Mouri Sporting,Janbazar S.C (East Bengal Ground) Venue ::
Gr.'I' :W.B.Police (WINNER),Howrah Union,Kalighat M.S,Bata S.C,Taltala Diptee Sangha (Venue ::Mohammedan Ground)
Gr.'J' :Aryan Club,SAI(East) (WINNER),City A.C,Cal Police Club,Combined University ( Venue ::Makardah /Kalyani Stadium)
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Saff Cup 2008 Final India Vs Maldives
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13.06.2008:The SAFF Championship is held biannually. It was launched at Lahore’s
Railway Stadium in 1993 as the SAARC Gold Cup.This year India beat Bhutan 2-1 to reach their
fourth final and Maldives beat co-host Sri Lanka 1-0 to confirm their third appearance in the final.
Before fighting in the tomorrow's final against Maldives, defending champions India are facing some
key players injuries problems.
Steven Dias, Renedy Singh, Climax Lawrance and N.S.Manju could miss the final due to Their
injury.India Coach Bob Houghton told to the press after Bhutan Match.The Defending Champion
India's line-up could struggle against strong Maldivian side.
In the other side 3rd time finalist Maldives coach Joseph Jankech is confident about his team.He
told that in the group stage they played well against India but lost unfortunetly.
Hope a good show in the final against India.
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SOME PAST RECORD OF SAFF CUP BETWEEN INDIA AND MALDIVES
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1997:Group Stage :India (Baichung,Ancheri) 2 - 2 Maldives (Ibrahim,Nizam)
1997:FINAL :India (Ancheri,Baichung 2,Amit Das,Vijayan) 5 - 1 Maldives (Abdul
Lateef)
2005:Semi Final:India (N.S.Manju) 1 - 0 Maldives
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PIFA children meet AC Milan players
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12.06.2008:Children from the Premier India Football Academy had the
privileged to meet entire the AC Milan team while on a football training camp in
Italy.
Premier India Football Academy (PIFA) organized their fourth AC Milan – Milan
Team Camp football tour for children 10-16 years to Italy.
The camp was a sell out within weeks of its launch. The camp was held from 12
to 22 May 2008 in the beautiful town of Vittorio Veneto. The tour was designed
by PIFA to help children appreciate and understand the history of AC Milan and
what makes them the BEST.
The football training was conducted by the Milan Team Camp coaches Francesco
Sette and Fabiano Ballarin. Each child received an AC Milan Academy shoe bag &
two kits that included jersey, shorts & stockings.
On the first day, the children had a tour of the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza,
commonly known as the San Siro (home to AC Milan & Inter Milan) & Museum.
Later, they went to the AC Milan head office to see the seven UEFA Champions
League trophies as well as many other silverwares including the FIFA Club World
Cup. The children were then taken on a tour of Milan City.
The boys got to play a friendly match against the local team San Michele Salsa.
The boys got to see the last Serie A match of the season at the San Siro
between AC Milan and Udinese, it was the last game for Serghino & Cafu in AC
Milan colors. It was an electrifying experience for the children as they
participated in the chanting & clapping. AC Milan won 4-1.
After the game, the children were taken to the players tunnel where they met the
entire AC Milan team. They took autographs from Maldini, Pato, Kaka, Cafu, Dida,
Pirlo, Gatuso.
The camp ended on the 22 May 2008, prizes were distributed and everyone was
a winner. The best player awards went to Rishi Singh & Ricky Rai both from
Bangalore.
Not only that,PIFA camper selected to represent India for the Tata Tea Arsenal
Soccer Stars.PIFA camper - Rickin Dang (Don Bosco) made it to the final 16 of the
Tata Tea Arsenal Soccer Stars program. Rickin Dang attended the PIFA London
Tour organised in April end. He also had the priviledge to train under ex
Tottenham Hotspurs Manager Peter Shreeves at the camp.
He along with Siddharth Singh were the only one’s selected from Mumbai.
Siddharth Singh was the Golden boot winner at the last PIFA 5 a side tournament.
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Arsenal Soccer Camp to train 16 Indian Boys
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11.06.2008 :Saurabh Rai :The eighth leg of the Tata Tea Arsenal Soccer Stars an
initiative of Tata Tea and the famous Arsenal Football Club of England is under
way at the Howrah Municipal Stadium. The tournament is being held with the
technical support of Indian Football Association (IFA). This tournament will give a
chance to the selected 15 players of participating in the main phase of the Arsenal
Soccer Stars Championship to be held in England in August.
There is a participation of more than 80 teams from the various schools in Kolkata
and from other parts of the state and the region, competing to win the Kolkata leg.
Jamshed Nassiri is the head scout of the tournament and has traveled across the
country with the contest. After seeing the players from different parts of the
country Mr Nassiri is of the opinion that there is no dearth of talent in India.
The tournament has already touched 7 cities with overwhelming response.
Kolkata is the last stoppage for the tournament. The All India Finals will also be
played in the city of joy. A total of 16 teams will be fighting for the top honors.
Arsenal Football Club coaches Paul Shipwright and Martin Davis trained the final
thirty probable in CC & FC Ground and has been selected 16 boys from them who
will travel to England and live their dreams. This incentive has encouraged the boys so
much that the scorching summer heat of Kolkata is not stopping them to show
their skills. They will also get a chance to play in the Arsenal International Soccer
Festival in London next month
After two weeks of training, 16 schoolboys were selected on Wednesday for
opportunity to train at the Arsenal training camp in England.
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The list of the selected Boys are
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Goalkeepers: Arindam Mitra (Kolkata),Avijit De (Bangalore),
Defenders: S. Kiran Kumar (Bangalore); Shane Anthony Temodo (Goa), Sumit Das
(Kolkata), Rickin Dang (Mumbai), Ajay Gujral (New Delhi), R. Deepak
(Bangalore), Mario Bacchus Lobo (Goa), Daniel Siddharth Singh (Mumbai), Yan
Cheng Law (Kolkata), Mojaffar Ali (Kolkata),Lalhrwaitlwanga (New Delhi),
Jitu Das (Kolkata),
Forwards: Karim Mistry (Kolkata),Jessammy Clivenson Tariang (Shillong),
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India enters into the Final of SAFF Cup 2008
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11.06.2008:Abhishek Bhattacharyya:
India advances into the final game of SAFF Cup,2008 by beating mighty Bhutan
2-1. Bhutan gave India a hard run for their money as they played their heart out
.Bhutan was the first one to score courtesy Kinley Dorjee in the 20th minute of
the game.
India equalized through Sunil Chettri in 31st minute.The first half was
dominated by the Indians.In the next half Indian skipper Baichung Bhutia had
couple of chances of giving India the lead but he failed to finish them.
As the match moved onto the extra time both the teams kept on pressing each
other. This time Bhutan had some chances which they were not able to convert.
Indians were also unlucky of not scoring.Bhutan substituted their Goalkeeper in
the dying minutes of extra time thinking that the match will go into the penalties
and that costed them the match.
Indian defender Gourmangi Singh headed the ball inside the Bhutan net in the 120th minute of the game giving India a ticket to the
final of SAFF Championship,2008. Indians will face host nations Maldives or
Srilanka in the final.Bhutan did everything right but luck was not in their side.
In the other Semi Final match Maldives entered the final by beating co-hosts Sri
Lanka by 1 - 0 through Ibrahim Fazeel’s 70th minute goal. This is the second time
Maldives beat Sri Lanka in the semi final of SAFF championship and the second
time a goal from Ibrahim Fazeel take Maldives into the final like 1997 and 2003.
Previous Winner and Runner of the Tournament
| year | winner | Runners-up | venue | |
| 1993 | India | Sri Lanka | Lahore, Pakistan | |
| 1995 | Sri Lanka | India | Colombo, Sri Lanka | |
| 1997 | India | Maldives | Kathmandu, Nepal | |
| 1999 | India | Bangladesh | Margao, Goa | |
| 2003 | Bangladesh | Maldives | Dhaka, Bangladesh | |
| 2005 | India | Bangladesh | Karachi, Pakistan | |
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FOOTBALL IN BHUTAN
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Article:Saurabh Rai / Sonam Dhendup :Football is one of the most widely
followed sport in Bhutan along with archery (which happens to be the national
sport) and basketball, though Bhutan’s ranking in world football stands at lowly
198, the passion for the beautiful game is surely picking up in this Himalayan
kingdom. It all started with the setting up of Bhutan Football Federation in 1983
which worked towards improving football infrastructure in the country under the
Royal patronage and finally in 5th August 2000 the federation got FIFA’S affiliation and 1993
have got AFC affiliation which further boosted football’s popularity in the country.
League championships in various categories (senior, youth, women) are organised
at school, district, regional and national level. The nations biggest sporting
success so far was a 4-0 victory over Montserrat in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World
Rankings.
The game itself had started in Bhutan during the fifties when schools were first
opened in Haa and Paro and the teachers who were recruited from outside the
country introduced the beautiful game to Bhutan but the credit for taking football
to the masses goes to the students who went out to study. They came back with
the knowledge about football and popularized the game in the country. In 1968
a team from Bhutan comprising mostly of hired players competed in the Indian
Independence cup in Kolkata then Calcutta. Bhutan’s connection with Kolkata
doesn’t end there, Dasho Karma Dorji a reputed player from the country is said
to have played for East Bengal club in the seventies.
Bhutan had a strong national side from 1970 to 1984.Teams from the country
participated in major tournaments outside and lifted many trophies. Bhutan
reached the finals of ANFA cup (All Nepal Football Association), an international
tournament four times. Teams from countries like China, Hong Kong, India, Korea,
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka used to participate in this tournament. At present the
national team is managed by Khare Basnett, a renowned footballer of his times.
The A-division league is contested by eight teams namely Druk Pol (who have
won the league four times) Transport United (3 times and are the current holders
of the title) and other teams are Yeedzin FC, Druk Star FC, Royal Bhutan Army
FC,Veterans FC,Chooden FC,Rigzhung FC.Transport United was Bhutan’s
representative in the AFC President’s cup where they finished third in the group
stage. The national team is selected from amongst the players in the A-division
league.
A state of the art football stadium is under construction at Changlimithang in
Thimpu the capital city. When the construction is completed Bhutan will get its
first international standard stadium. Football in Bhutan is definitely on the right
course and the day is not far when Bhutan will become one of the major
footballing nations in Asia.
The Bhutanese national team were finalists four times in the ANFA cup (All Nepal
Football Association), an international tournament where teams from China,
Hong kong, India, Korea, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka used to contend.
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Current Squad of Bhutan Football Team
Goalkeepers:Puspalal
Sharma,Jigme
Singay,Tshering
Chophel
Defenders:Chengho
Chengho,Pasang
TsheringIrishna,
SubbaKarma,
YesheySonam
,TenzinThinlay
Phuntsho
Nangze, DorjiSonam,
NorbuBhim,
Kumar Chhetri
Midfielders:Pema
Chophel,Kinlay
Dorji,Sonam
Jamtsho,Cheni
Yangdel,Nawang
Dendup,Ugyen
Dorji
Pema PemaSonam,
TobgayWangchuk
Oh
Forwards:Wangay
Dorj,iYeshey
Gyeltshen,Bikash
Pradhan,Dorji
Khandu,Hem
Bahadur Tamang,Dinesh
Chhetri
,Yeshey
Nedup,Nobin
Gurung
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Nike MUPC 2008 U - 15 - Final Round
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11.06.2008:
Right to Dream Academy became the first ever Premier Cup Africa Champions
after beating Egyptian qualifiers ENPPI 1:0, in a compelling final at the
Nike Hilversum Campus today. (Tuesday) The Ghanaian team’s victory secured
their place at the World Finals of the Manchester United Premier Cup in
Manchester this August.
Tina Salminen, Nike’s Regional Sports Marketing Director of Africa
welcomed the visiting teams and distinguished guests to the first Premier
Cup Africa Finals. Mr Bons Abambora, Counsellor, Embassy of Ghana to the
EU, and Dr (Mrs) Grace Amponsah-Ababio, Ambassador of Ghana to the
Netherlands, joined assembled crowds eager to witness some of the
brightest young African football stars of the future.
Premier Cup was developed by NIKE in 1993 as a grassroots tournament
offering young players from diverse cultural and social backgrounds the
opportunity to play at international level against the best teams in
Europe.
This regional tournament originally involving 624 clubs, evolved
to become a world-wide event, with over 9,000 teams from more than 40
countries competing annually. In 2003, the competition was taken to new
heights when Manchester United added their name to the biggest and best
under-15 football tournament in the world, joining Nike in their quest to
promote excellence in football
The following teams have already qualified for the World Finals in August
alongside the host team Manchester United.
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FC Basel 1893 (Switzerland), F.C. Honka (Finland), Willem II (The
Netherlands), Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany) Juventus FC
(Italy), Real Madrid FC (Spain), Middlesbrough FC (UK), Audax Italiano
(Chile), Fluminense (Brazil), Zhejiang Lucheng FC (China), Shizuoka Gakuen
Jr. High School (Japan), Ansan Boogok Middle School (Korea), Central
United (New Zealand)and San Diego Surf (USA),Right to Dream Academy(Ghana) .
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India will start campaign against Afganistan in AFC Challange Cup 2008
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09.06.2008:Samira Sultana - from Hyderabad 4.30 pM:The Official draw for the Final
Round of the AFC Challenge Cup – India 2008 has ended in Taj Deccan Hotel ,
Kohinoor Hall ,Hyderabad today.Apart form India the other participant Countries
are DPR Korea ,Turkmenistan ,Myanmar ,Srilanka ,Tajikistan ,Afghanistan & Nepal
to be held in Hyderabad from 30th July to 10th Aug in Lal Bahadur Stadium.
The Press Release also brought promises of APFC to be functional before the kick
off of the AFC Championship Cup on 30th July. AFC Gen Secretary Mr. Dato Paul
Muny Samuel was very optimistic with the leadership letting their wisdom prevail over
the differences and misunderstandings between them. He further pointed out that
Hyderabad has the character to play fine and entertaining football.
The details of the matches and their dates are given below
India Fixture
30.07.2008 : India Vs Afganisthan::01.08.2008: India Vs Tajikisthan
::03.08.2008 : India Vs Turkmenisthan
GROUP
GROUP A: Turkmenistan, India, Afghanistan, Tajikistan
GROUP B: DPR Korea, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka
THE SCHEDULE
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Mohun Bagan won IFA Sahara Nursery League 95 points Title
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08.06.2008:Mohun Bagan Boys won 95 Points IFa Sahara Nursery Football
League Title 2008.Today in afternoon they beat Howrah Friends by 4 - 1 in their home
ground.
Mohun Bagan Boys played very well in this tournament from beginning to the end.
Today the scorers of Mohun Bagan are Laltu Hembrom,Sumon Santra, and twice goals
of Subhrajeet Das.The only goal for Howrah side scored by Sanu Haldar.
Mohun Bargan Sr. Team Coach Karim Benchirefa was present in the field along with IFA Secretary Mr.
Utpal Kr. Ganguly and President Mr. Satyabrata Ganguly.
Friends of the Stadium Women Football Team win the IFA Women Football League
for third time.They beat Income Tax 3 - 1 and lift the league title 2007 - 2008
Season.
Indian children train under Peter Shreeves, ex Spurs manager
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08.06.2008:Children from the Premier India Football Academy had the privileged to be trained
for a day by ex Tottenham Hotspur manager – Peter Shreeves. They toured the
best stadium in Europe and trained at the Inspire Academy in London.
Premier India Football Academy (PIFA) organized the PIFA - London tour to England
– a football tour for children 10-18 years. This was their fourteenth camp to
Europe.Thirty children participated in this exciting camp, there were children from the
Mahindra United & Mumbai FC.The tour was designed by PIFA to help children appreciate and understand the
history of Arsenal FC and what makes them so special. The children got a guided
tour of the Emirates Stadium and Museum
Football training was conducted through the week by the Inspire Academy on 3G
all weather artificial grass pitches at the Football Academy in Loughton.
They were also treated to a training session by Peter Shreeve, ex Manager of
Tottenham Hotspurs & Sheffield Wednesday FC. He was impressed by the
academy students of PIFA.
The children got to see an English Premier League match. Fulham’s final home
game at Craven Cottage against Birmingham City both teams fighting off
relegation. The children were seated on the first row and were the closest to the
playing field. The children could be easily be recognized by the bright yellow PIFA
t-shirts that they wore for the game. They were able to experience the energy
of the fans & lively atmosphere in the stadium. The match was won 2-0 by
Fulham FC.
The children also played friendly’s against the Boca Juniors U-13 & U-16. The
child underwent fitness and skill tests.The skills test was won by PIFA student
Aahant Singh.The group was accompanied by two adults from India ensuring that
the children totally focus on football and enjoy themselves.
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Bengal leads the table in Santosh Trophy Gr.'B' QF
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08.06.2008:Abhishek Bhattacharyya :
Bengal takes the top spot in Group - B after they defeated Karnataka 4 - 1 in their
Santosh Trophy Group league match.The Bengal army dominated the proceedings
from the very first minute of the game.Players like Gouranga Dutta,Asim Das,
Tarif Ahmed displayed superb skill in the field.
Bengal opened their account in the dying minutes of the first half when Asim Das
headed the ball in Karnataka’s goal post.
The second half was really exciting as the Bengal players created a lot of chances
and Karnataka had to work hard to stop them.
But goals galore followed in Bakshi stadium from 68th minute when Gouranga Dutta
made it 2-0 for Bengal followed by the third goal scored by Rahim Nabi in 75th
Minute of the game(3 - 0).Karnataka
clawed one back through Vijay Kumar(3 - 1) but they couldn’t stop Tarif Ahmed’s raw
pace to score the fourth goal of the game for Bengal (4 - 1).
In the other match Goa beat Maharashtra 2 - 0.
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Euro 2008 :It is just repugnant
Pic of Bild-Zeitung :Source : Dibyendu Choudhuri
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06.06.2008: Dibyendu Choudhuri from Germany :This is the comment of
german newspaper “Bild-Zeitung”.Millions of enthusiastic football fans are looking
forward to watching the match between Germany vs. Poland on Sunday. But,
the polish newspapers have started an ugly football war just before the match.
A photomontage with the chopped down heads of german captain Michael Ballack
and coach Joachim Loew in the hands of dutch trainer Mr. Beenhacker of polish
national team was published in the polish newspaper”Super Express”with the
caption”Bring their hads to us”.
Mr. Beenhacker’s reaction was “an incomparable tasteless gesture. I am deeply
schocked.It shows you can find everywhere sick people.I am totally uoset and
dissociate myself from all these nonsense.”
Meanwhile Poland coach Leo Beenhakker apologized Thursday after one Polish newspaper
printed a doctored photo of him holding the chopped-off heads of Germany's
coach and captain ahead of Sunday's game between the two teams at the
European Championship.
Beenhakker said thant he hope can speak in the name of many Polish people, but
at least he speaks in the name of the Polish team and everybody around it. We
apologize to the German people against that bad thing.
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Baichung invited to participate in the Goal4Africa Match
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06.06.2008:Dutch legend Mr. Clarence Seedorf, the First Global Ambassador
for the Goal4Africa Project has invited Indian football icon Baichung Bhutia to
participate in a friendly match that will launch the Goal4 Africa Project on the
12th of July, 2008 (Celebration of Nelson Mandela’s 90th Birthday), at the Allianz
Arena in Munich, Germany.
The Goal4Africa project plans to raise 90 million Euros as a tribute to Nelson
Mandela.
Great International players as well as celebrities, world leaders, corporate CEO’s,
etc, will participate in the event. Players like Kaka, Steven Gerrard, Buffon, van
Nistelroy, Essien and Drogba are expected to participate.
Courtesy:AIFF Media Release
Note: To facilitate better education for children in Africa. Every Goal
scored means a donation to the Goal4Africa fund.Clarence Seedorf, 32 year
Surinam born AC Milan Defender who has scored 11 goals in 87 appearances for
Holland in is career is currently not in the sqyad of Holland Euro-2008 team.
Here is a preliminary roster of others who will lend their celebrity and support
on 12 July 2008 at the Allianz Arena in Munich. Seedorf XI and C.Ronaldo XI would
be to two teams in that Charity match :-
Ricardo Kaká(Brazil),C.Ronaldo(Portugal),Shevchenko(Ukrain), Frank Lampard(England), Paolo Maldini(Italy), Robin van
Persie(Holland), Gianluigi Buffon(Italy), Emmanuel Adebayor(Togo), Gennaro
Gattuso(Italy), Steven Gerrard(England),Rud Van Nistelrooy(Holland), Fabio Cannavaro(Italy), Samuel Eto’o
(Cameroon), Didier Drogba (Ivory coast),Sergio Ramos (Spain) and Michael Essien(Ghana).
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Bengal-Goa Santosh Trophy Match Drawn
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06.06.2008:The Match between West Bengal and Goa ended in a draw.Much was expected
from this match when the two Powerhouses of Indian Football met at the Bakshi
Stadium,Srinagar in their Santosh Trophy,Quarter Final League match.Both the
teams were cautious in the first half followed by some good defending.
But the Chirag United Striker Shankar was the pace-setter for Bengal in the Forward Zone.
The second half was much more lively.As both the teams look to attack.In the
50th minute of the match Habibur Rehman’s cross found Syed Rahim Nabi’s feet in
the Goan Penalty box but sadly the latter put it wide.Bengal’s Shankar was again
the show stopper for his team.
In the 72nd Minute of the match Jaoquim Abranches pierces into the Bengal’s penalty box but his shot was saved by
Bengal Goalkeeper Abhra Mondal, while Denzil Franco’s follow up shot missed the
mark agonizingly.Abhra Mondal was injured, courtesy of a chaos in the Bengal
penalty area and was substituted by Somnath Khara.
In the earlier match Karnataka beat Maharashtra 1 - 0 .Goal scored by Xavier
Vijay Kumar of HAL.
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Mohun Bagan announces squad as Karim takes charge
Pic Courtesy:www.mohunbaganclub.com - partnert site
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02.06.2008 : Abhishek Bhattacharyya:Mohun Bagan hosted a press
conference for their newly appointed Moroccan Coach Karim Bencherifa today in
their club tent.The Mariners Club President Mr.Swapan Sadhan Bose popularly
known as Tutu Bose was also present in this press meet.The meet began with the
welcoming of their new coach followed by a felicitation ceremony for the latter.
The Mariners also announced their squad for 2008-2009 season.Baichung Bhutia
was appointed the captain for this season and Lal Kamal Bhowmick is their vice-
captain.
The team has got 17 new players of which 8 are from TFA and was a part of
Bayern Munich Match.Another four players were included from
the Mohun Bagan-Sail Football Academy.It’s a well balanced team and has a nice blending
of youth and experience.
The media personnels also got an opportunity to ask questions to Karim who was
at the helm of media cynosure.Karim seems to be a honest bloke and is very
straight forward while communicating with the media.The Moroccan resembled the
former FC Porto & Chelsea Manager Jose Mourinho with his great sense of humour.
Karim had a great time last season as the coach of Churchill Brothers.The Goan
team finished 2nd in the opening edition of I-League as the title was decided on
the last day of competiton were Dempo won due to a better goal difference.
Karim knows how to handle media pressure here in India.When he was asked why
he came to Kolkata even after knowing that managing a Kolkata team is a pressure
job.He replied smilingly that he is a professional coach and knows how to handle
pressure.He said while managing a team he always looked for the packages that
the job is offering him.He looks at the Quality of the team & club and more
importantly the football craze here in Kolkata is great and even compared it with
his hometown of Casablanca which has population of 6-8 million and when the
two local (Wahidad and Raza) team meet in their Derby Clash the people
their goes wild.
He also expressed his happiness on the squad that is given to him this season and
said his main aim is to win everything for Bagan this season.But also opined that a
coach is a human being and not a robot.
The supporters should not expect super human deeds to be
performed by the coach even if the player are not playing well.He said that to
have a good team we all need to take collective responsibility.Lastly he added
that he looks forward to keep a healthy relationship with Media and said that he
is always there for them but he also expects Media to respect his private life.
THE SQUAD
GK:Sangram Mukherjee,Shilton Paul ,Raju Ekka(Air India),Chirodeep Chatterjee(TFA).
Stopper:Rakesh Masih(TFA),Karan Atwal(TFA),J.Anandavasan(Indian Bank)
,Peter Odafe,Deepak Kumar Mandal,N.S.Manju.
Sidebacks-Nabin Kumar(TFA),N.Mohan Raj,Habibur Rehman,Rino Anto(TFA),
Suman Bose-U-19(Bagan Academy).
Midfield:Kartick Kisku(Peerless),James Singh,Malsawmtluanga(Salgaokar),
Henry Gangte(TFA),Lalkamal Bhowmick,Tapan Maity,LalRamluaha(TFA),Sagolsem
James Singh(Viva Kerala),Rahul Kumar,Souvik Chakroborty-U-19(Bagan Academy),
Sanjoy Boro-U-19(Bagan Academy).
Forwards:Ishfaq Ahmed,P.C.Lalampuia,Branco Vincent Cardozo(TFA),
Baichung Bhutia,Jose Ramirez Barreto,Malsumzwala-U-19(Bagan Academy)
Chief Coach :Karim Bencherifa
Satyajit Chatterjee(Asst.Coach)
Hemanta Dora(Goalkeeper Coach).
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Dr.Francis Saldhana of Virginia will sponsor India U - 16 Team's USA
Tour
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01.06.2008:An under-16 Indian national soccer team is going to
Charleston,USA to train for an upcoming AFC U - 16 Championship.The trip is the
work of a local anesthesiologist, Dr. Malvin Francis Saldanha, an NRI about 30 years
experience who oversees the Day Surgery Center in Kanawha City,Virginia ,USA is
paying for the team's 3 weeks training in West Virginia.
Dr. Saldanha said he's pleased to help the boys train in United States.
Growing up in India,a scholar from Madras University in 1975,Dr. SAldhana came to
the United States in 1977 and made Charleston his home in 1981. He played
cricket, field hockey and soccer in his boyhood, but said he was never a good
athlete.Still, Dr.Saldanha remained a sports fan.
For many years, Dr.Saldanha worked to help athletics in India, but he could never do
more than fund soccer programs at schools and academies across the country.
He was the sponsor of PIFA skill contest 2007 in Mumbai.
Dr.Saldanha began to inquire about funding the team in some capacity. Then he
decided to bring the team to West Virginia with the help of his friend Brian Parrott
who is a vice-president of commercial lending for City National Bank.
Using Parrott's help,they gained the approval from the All India Football Federation
and also able to get clearance from the U.S. Soccer Federation and the West
Virginia Soccer Association about this trip.
The team is scheduled to arrive on 1st of July for training and scrimmages to prepare for
the AFC U-16 Tournament, scheduled to be held from October at Uzbekistan.
The India team will play against Siria,Indonesia and South Korea there.
During their stay in Charleston, the squad will reside in the Embassy' Suites hotel.
The team includes 24 players and six coaches probably.
Their schedule includes five practice Matches at Schoenbaum Stadium at Coonskin Park.
They will also play a game against other visiting teams at West Virginia University
and another at Marshall University.The team will confront various soccer
clubs from West Virginia, Ohio and South Carolina.The first practice Matches will be 6th July
at Schoenbaum Stadium.They will head back to India on July 26.
Dr.Saldanha said he has high hopes for the team's success in AFC U- 16 Tournament.
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India U-16 Football Teams Fixure in AFC U-16 Championship
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From October 4th to 19th this year Uzbekistan will be the
host for the event AFC U- 16 Championship.
India kickoff their campaign against South Korea thereafter taking on Syria
followed by Indonesia..
The semifinalist teams of this Tournament wiil be played in the next
U-17 World Cup.
India U-16 Team Will Play
4th October India Vs South Korea
6th October India Vs Syria
8th October India Vs Indonesia
GROUP A
1. Iran
2. Singapore
3. Uzbekistan
4. Bahrain
GROUP B
1. Syria
2. Korea Republic
3. India
4. Indonesia
GROUP C
1. China
2. Saudi Arabia
3. Australia
4. Turkmenistan
GROUP D
1. Japan
2. Yemen
3. UAE
4. Malaysia
Japan who won the title two years back (2006) in Singapore after defeating DPR Korea
4-2 in extra time.
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