It8217;s transfer time at PDFA

On the flip side, rumours rife in football circles reveal that quite a few clubs offer token amounts that lure players reeling from financial difficulties.

On the face of it players find the offer rosy and several talented ambitious players seek transfers. What happens next is repentance. A cross-section of players under condition of anonymity collectively allege that promises are never kept and the actual amounts received remain way below those agreed. After learning their lesson the hard way, players subsequently opt for transfers back to their original club.

The solution to this lies with the PDFA. A uniform prize money in the league, and an even balance of tournaments in all divisions would help players look at the game from a different perspective, with greater emphasis on individual excellence.

With the completion of the 1998-99 leagues, the forthcoming season has seen 29 players opt for transfers, including 16 in the I-Division, four II-Div and six III-Division, while three transfers have been kept on hold on the list announced by the PDFA.

These include two outstation transfers Amar Pardeshi Gulf Oil; I-Division and Jayant Sinha State Bank of India; Super Division who have been playing in the Western India Football Association WIFA League and have opted to play for KP XI and Thundercatz respectively.

However, since both have not submitted a clearance certificate from WIFA, their transfers thus would hold good only after both submit the document. On the other hand, Pune City Police defender Milind Kadam who opted to play for Roopali Sports Club, has requested the PDFA to consider his transfer despite the last date of finalising the final transfer list had elapsed.

As the player is seeking recruitment in the police, which would be known by June 15, the PDFA has considered his request and directed him not to take the field with either team till the issue is cleared.

Among the major losers during the 10-day April 15-25 transfers were II-Division winners and recently promoted Kanojia Pardeshi XI KP XI who lost six players which include five to Ghorpuri Young Ones GYO. Old Boys Association OBA follow next with five 8212; all to Vincent8217;s Old Boys Association VOBA, who incidentally are major gainers with six this season.

By and large, the transfers this year can be termed as getting back to where you belonged8217; as more than fifty percent of the transfers have been based on the above. For the record, last season just 18 transfers were completed.

The Transfers Cleared
I-Division: Raju Jagannathan Youth Club Khadakwasla to Roopali S.C; Prashant Ghadge Youth Club Khadakwasla to Thundercatz; Kenneth Fernandes Shivajians to City Club; Sameer Bhagwat Roopali SC to Deccan XI A8217;; Manoj Pardeshi, Kamlesh Mehta, Sheikh Javed, Niraj Agarwal, Tushar Mantri, KP XI to Ghorpuri Young Ones; Nitin More KP XI to Fatima XI; Alfred Rodrigues, Sandeep Singh, Nikhil Jaisinghani, Aditya Ranade ad Gabriel Sequeira Old Boys Association to Vincent8217;s Old Boys Association Aniruddha Bhargava Ex-Loyola Students Association to Chetak SC.
II-Division: Lawrence D8217;Souza Wanowari S.C to Poona Social; Sunder Pillay Jolly Boys Ghorpuri to Indrayani S.C, Dehu Road; Manoj Sathi Dehu Ordinance Factory to Indrayani S.C; Maruti Kuradkar Jolly Boys Ghorpuri to Fatima XI.
III-Division: Abdul Baig Railway Young Boys to Telecom Colony; Thomas Robert Fatima to Knights XI; Stephen Furtado Warriors to VOBA; Patrick D8217;Souza and Atul Gaikwad Fatima XI to Youngsters; Johnson Anthony Railway Young Boys to Jolly Boys Ghorpuri.