City players worried over CFA infighting

CHANDIGARH, July 28: City footballers are a worried lot due to the infighting in the Chandigarh Football Association. CFA was given tempo...

CHANDIGARH, July 28: City footballers are a worried lot due to the infighting in the Chandigarh Football Association. CFA was given temporary affiliation in November 1996 by the All India Football Federation and the city teams performed under the CFA banner at the national level in various tournaments.

But now, these players are at their wits end as two rival factions try to outscore the other, with the result that the Chandigarh team may be debarred from taking part in the national championships. “They should settle their scores outside the play ground,” remarked a senior member of the Chandigarh team which played , and made it to the quarterfinal of the prestigious Santosh Trophy national football championships.

Recently, CFA secretary Rakesh Bakshi called for a meeting of the association, in which new office bearers were elected. Ravinder Talwar was elected the president while Rakesh Bakshi himself retained the post of the secretary.

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A couple of days later, "another meeting" of CFA (the other group) took place – this time under the chairmanship of CFA’s president AS Bains. In this meeting a resolution was passed and Rakesh Bakshi was removed from his post (secretary) for his "anti-association activities."

But that was not the end of it. Both the factions announced different dates to hold the state meets. Though both the units claim that they have support of the majority of units, it will be nothing less than a litmus test for them during the forthcoming under-12 football tournament of Shivalik Trophy, which is slated to be held from August 5 to 10, even as the players themselves are keeping their fingers crossed. "Only time will tell," as one said.