The Hindu : Sport / Football : Sukhwinder Singh to coach India

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 01, 2005

Sport

Sport - Football

Sukhwinder Singh to coach India

By Our Special Correspondent

KOLKATA, MARCH 31. Former National coach and current JCT team boss, Sukhwinder Singh, has been brought back to take charge of the Indian soccer team till the 2006 Doha Asian Games. This decision of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) ends the reign of current India coach, Stephen Constantine, whose contract with the National body ends in June this year.

The AIFF president Mr. Priya Ranjan Das Munsi, informed a press conference here on Thursday that the reappointed coach would have to work with a new selection committee meaning all the decision regarding the team selection and other matters would be a "collective decision.''

Mr. Das Munsi said Constantine's contract would not be renewed and he felt "terminating his contract before the end of the term would enable Constantine claim a huge compensation.'' The AIFF chief said efforts would be on to get a foreign coach to take charge of age-group talent.

Tsunami fund

The AIFF president said an exhibition match would be played at the Salt Lake Stadium here on June 4 to support the FIFA/AFC tsunami fund. The money would be used for construction of a training center at the Lapaty village in Car Nicobar Island. He said two teams, captained by Bhaichung Bhutia and I.M. Vijayan, would play the match. Efforts were on to get some international players, he said.

He said the AIFF would meet in New Delhi on April 15 to decide the details of the tsunami game, approve the new National coach, youth development and Asian Football, among others.

Mr. Das Munsi said the National Football League would go professional from 2006 following pressure from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport