Former players flay JKFA for selection

Santosh Trophy

ABID KHAN


Srinagar, May 8: The former football players of the Valley have flayed J&K Football Association for ignoring senior players and picking up mostly unknown faces in the JK Santosh Trophy squad for the 63rd edition of the coveted event to be held in Tamil Nadu from May 24 to June 14.
The JKFA on Wednesday announced the list of 26 players who will participate in the coaching camp prior to the final announcement of 20 players, which will be made on May 17.
Among the players in last year’s squad, only four could make it to the list. Even Shahnaz Iqbal, who was captain of the team last year, was dropped.
Though JKFA officials say that they gave preference to young lot keeping future in consideration, the former players blame internal bickering as main reason for ignoring seniors.
Former international footballer, Dr Zahoor Haroon, said, “Though internal bickering has always overwhelmed JKFA, it never affected any player and was kept up to administrative level only. But this time dropping almost all the experienced and picking unknown faces for the biggest national level football tournament of India speaks volumes about the functioning of the Association.”
“Last year our team reached to quarterfinal stage because of the experienced players and within one year they have been axed. If preferring young players is the reason, then Baichung Bhutia should have been out of Indian team,” he said, adding, inclusion of Ishfaq Ahmad and other national players would not be helpful for team as football is team game and individual performances hardly matter.
“Ishfaq alone can’t win you matches. He is in great form but what about the rest of players who have got no exposure and experience at all,” Zahoor added.
Another former footballer, Muhammad Amin questioned the overall selection process of the JKFA.
“I can’t understand how the players were shortlisted for the trials. Last year selection was done through open trails, but this time only 40 players were allowed to participate in trials. They had barred almost all the senior players from participating in trials including the talented lot of JK Bank,” he alleged.
Amin said that internal matters of JKFA shouldn’t have affected the players.
“It is unfortunate, as no one had expected it. When it looked that our state is getting back its place in Indian football on the basis of performance, the JKFA has put it at risk by selecting almost second strength team,” Amin said.
“Every Association has got loopholes and internal bickering is not that big thing. But the concern this time is that players have been affected” he added.
One of the JK Bank player who was not shortlisted for trials, said, “Without assessing the performance, JKFA shortlisted the players. Normally season would have kicked off 20 to 25 days back, but this year JKFA is yet to make announcement about the start. Without tournaments, I don’t know how they shortlisted and assessed performance of the players,” he said.
“Except three or four players no one among the selected players has represented state in any big national tournament” he added.

published in greater kashmir on June 9 http://greaterkashmir.com/full_story.asp?Date=9_5_2009&ItemID=7&cat=4