Airmen a spent force in Delhi football

From fielding too many teams — another one participates in the Kolkata Super Division League — and the subsequent dilution of talent to institutional guidelines barring the hiring of foreign players,numerous reasons are being cited for the downfall.

“It would be wrong to blame our performance on the number of teams we are playing,” protests Tapan Kumar Guchait,coach of both teams. “It actually gives us a better pool to choose from during the inter-services meets. This year we have missed as many as seven frontline players (Kiran Kumar,Kicgen,GS Sandhu,WP Singh and S Thapa),including two goalkeepers (Atanu Bandopadhyay and Anil Kumar).

“This left the available bunch very inexperienced. They were either injured or had to sit for exams. We don’t have the provision of playing foreigners too. Considering this,our performance hasn’t been that bad as the margin,in most cases has been a goal,” he laments.

Incidentally,in Kolkata,the Air Force team finished seventh among nine contenders this year. More than the scoresheet the evident difference in the quality of play has nailed the coach this season and the reason he deems is the bad timing of the DSA league.

“The (DSA senior division) league was never organised at this time of the year. All state leagues are over now and the players are free to play in Delhi. Most of the teams are dependant on players from other states and foreigners. The standard is improving but this isn’t helping Delhi football in any way,” Guchait adds.

The DSA senior division league,originally slated for August,had to be postponed initially due to the Durand and the Subroto Cup. The state body refuses to buy Guchait’s argument and claims there no better time to play football here than this.

“We had proposed the organisation of the senior division matches before the A and B division leagues,but majority of the clubs wanted to avail the recent provision made by the AIFF that allows them to hire two outstation players if they are free. This meant the A and B division leagues had to be hosted prior to the senior division and with 46 teams in all. It took us another two months’ time (after the Durand and the Subroto Cup). This is also a better time to play here. The quality of football has proved this,” DSA secretary NK Bhatia says.

He points out fielding too many teams as the reason for the airmen’s slump. “From the time they started fielding three teams (last season) their performance has been deteriorating as the main players have shifted to Kolkata. Playing here (in Delhi),they can achieve something,but in Kolkata it’ll be very tough. This season didn’t utilise the windows (in June and December) properly too,” Bhatia.