JCT kicks out football club,calls it strategic decision

But,on Monday,the announcement made by the club threw the future of the players in dark.

“It is shocking news for me. After the team was relegated,Thapar had called all the players and officials and assured that the team will stay on. He told us to build a good team for the next season. Today’s news has come as a huge shock for all of us,” shared Parminder Singh,coach of the team.

The announcement means that there won’t be any professional team representing North India in the I-League next season. “It is true. JCT has been disbanded. The decision was conveyed to us by Samir Thapar,” confirmed Rajmohan Singh,senior vice-president (retail) JCT.

The statement,issued by the club formed in 1971,read: “JCT Limited has taken a strategic decision to pull out for the time being till football in India shows some possibility of generating value for corporates and their brands,besides bringing up popularity of football among youngsters.”

Sukhwinder Singh,who has been associated with JCT since 1992,said he supported the decision of the officials. “I am with the management officials. They know that good and bad times are part and parcel of the game. However,I understand their logic behind taking such a huge decision. But at the same time,I understand that there won’t be any platform for youngsters from Punjab to play competitive football. JCT is the only club from North India playing in the I-League and the decision will come as a huge setback for them,” said Sukhwinder,who paved the way for Parminder to occupy the post of the coach in 2009.

It was during his time that JCT has started on a bang and won the inaugural National Football league (later renamed I-League) in 1996.

However,the focus still remains on the predicament of the players who are on contract basis,unlike the coaching and management staffs who are employees of the club.

“Nobody bothered to tell us what was happening with the club. We were assured our future is safe with the club and Thapar told us not to join other clubs. Because of that we refused offers from other clubs. We have dedicated our life for the club and now we are getting this is return. Now what will happen to us,our family? Our family members are dependent on us to earn bread and butter for them,” complained Pawan Kumar,who joined JCT last year and has one year of contract left with the club. He was contacted by Salgaocar SC to join the club.

With the club unable to attract big names owing to their poor performance for the last three seasons and top players from the club joining other clubs,the onus fell on the young players from Punjab to salvage their pride,which unfortunately they failed to do. In the past,big names like Bahichung Bhutia,Sunil Chhetri,IM Vijayan had played for the club and took the Millmen to unprecedented heights in the last 90s and early 2000.

Meanwhile,JCT has maintained that its academies will continue to function for the development of players at the grassroots level. However,that decision has not gone well with the staff members.

“What is the use of academies when the senior team has been disbanded. JCT was the only place where the players from academies could have gone and played professional football. Now,what will happen to their future. Where will the players from Punjab go and play football?” questioned a management staff on the condition of anonymity.