JCT for progressive plans

This season8217;s National Football League champions Dempo SC and Mumbai stalwarts Mahindra United have both taken the transfer market to dizzy heights these days...

This season8217;s National Football League NFL champions Dempo SC and Mumbai stalwarts Mahindra United have both taken the transfer market to dizzy heights these days, the latest talked about deal being the registration of Mahesh Gawli for a sum of Rs 35 lakh, a phenomenal figure by Indian football standards.

Amidst the fast-increasing stakes in Indian football, JCT Mills, finishing runners-up in the NFL this season, appear to have set their eyes on long-term constructive and progressive programmes instead of going for immediate success.

Right now, the club8217;s top brass has its hands full trying to experiment with and field potential young players from its academy in Phagwara. The Punjab club is not at all trying to join the race for building a big-budget team this season. On the contrary, Dempo SC have reportedly increased their budget to nearly Rs 5.5 crore for the new season.

Mahindra United, too, have reportedly decided to set aside nearly Rs 5 crore for the new season8217;s team. JCT Mills meanwhile had spent no more than Rs 2.5 crore over the last couple of years. The club8217;s management has also decided to emphasise on retaining most of the potential local players who donned the JCT Mills shirt this season, like roping in Mike Okoro.

It is learnt that Nigerian striker has been called up by the JCT Mills think-tank to join the team8217;s training at the end of this month. But the management is simultaneously wary of the manner in which the temperamental Okoro deserted both East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting bang in the middle of the season in the recent past.

The club8217;s top brass now wants to have a detailed and serious discussion with Okoro after the team8217;s coaches Sukhvinder Singh and Parminder Singh closely look at the way the player is shaping up physically.

Speaking about it, a top JCT Mills official told The Indian Express today: 8220;Okoro is in Poland at this moment. We have already had talks with him. He has agreed to join our training, as we told him. But we have decided that we will sign him only if he can convince us that he is still a lethal force as he was two years ago. He has to prove during the training period.8221;

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The club functionary continued: 8220;We want him to promise us that he won8217;t be indisciplined as he was during his stint with Mohammedan Sporting last season. That is precisely why we have planned to closely observe him at least for two weeks before deciding to sign him in.8221;

The reason behind the club8217;s decision to show interest in signing in Okoro is the exit of another Nigerian striker and the club8217;s key player Chidi Edeh. Chidi didn8217;t have a satisfactory season with JCT Mills, opting not to get his contract renewed with the Punjab outfit.