National League advanced to October

With the first exposure trip in recent years clicking well, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has promptly come up with elaborate plans for upgrading Indian football. President Priya Ranjan Das Munshi happpily announced that there will be regular annual exposure trips for both senior and youth teams from next year onwards. To begin with, Das Munshi is working out a three-week tour to Brazil for the pre-World Cup team in March 2001.

AIFF also plans to organise Millennium Cup in January which will see some of the best foreign teams in action while plans are also there to start an Indo-Bangladesh tournament. India are scheduled to play UAE, Yemen and Brunei in the pre-World Cup matches.

Das Munshi, who will be leaving for Zurich to participate in the FIFA Congress, has submitted an elaborate Action Plan to Sports Authority of India (SAI) for the preparation of the team for the Pre-World Cup, Afro-Asian Games, 2002 Asian Games, 2004 Olympics and 2006 World Cup. SAI will provide scientific evaluation scheme of screening of talents in terms of cardio-vascular strength and other fitness issues from time to time. SAI has advised AIFF to engage one American coach for the youth development programme which AIFF is considering though they have already appointed Uzbek coach Ismail Akhmadov.

In regard to appointment of foreign coach for the senior National team, AIFF will give their final decision after the delegation, led by Das Munshi, returns from Zurich next week though Das Munshi hinted that so far coaches from England, France and Brazil have been shortlisted.

Meanwhile, on the domestic calendar, Das Munshi informed that the inconclusive 1999-2000 Federation Cup and Junior National Championship shall be concluded before October 2. He also informed that the National Football League will be advanced from December to October in order to avoid clash of dates with Santosh Trophy and other major tournaments.

AIFF will soon announce new rules for the clubs in which it will be mandatory for them to play at least one Indian striker during their matches. As of now, clubs play their imported players who are brought in with big amounts in order to win their matches. The new rule will help most of the Indian strikers, who otherwise sit at the benches, to get more experience.

“At present, we are depending mainly on Bhaichung Bhutia and IM Vijayan while we need at least six strikers for the Indian team,” Das Munshi said adding, “with the new rule we can expect some more talented strikers to come up.”

AIFF’s plans for future tournaments
Trips to European countries. To begin with, a three-week tour to Brazil by March 2001.

Reviving Nehru Cup. The new tournament to be known as Nehru Series.

Trips to Bangladesh. A new tournament, to be named as Ganga-Padma Trophy, being planned. The tournament, to be held in India and Bangladesh, will see top three teams from both countries in action.

Millennium Cup in January will see foreign teams also taking part.