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Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 03, 2005

Sport

Sport - Football

Indian Bank — the team to watch

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: The first phase of the NFL second division (main round) is to be held between May 4 and 15 with the Group A matches getting underway at the Nehru stadium here. The Group B matches will be held in Jamshedpur.

Local favourite

A feature of the competition in the city is the participation of local favourite Indian Bank, a former premier league side, which is aspiring to get back to that elite bunch in the coming season. Only two teams from this Group will move to the final phase where the top two outfits from Jamshedpur will join for a four-team round robin. The venue and date for that final phase will be decided later, though Tamil Nadu is one of the bidders, according to T.R. Govindarajan, Secretary, Tamil Nadu Football Association.

Briefing newsmen on Monday, he said the Group A would comprise, apart from Indian Bank, Air India (Mumbai), BSF (Jalandhar), HAL, Bangalore, Bengal-Mumabi FC, Mumbai (qualifier) and Karnataka Police, Bangalore (qualifier).

The teams in the Jamshedpur-leg are Mohammedan Sporting, Kolkata, TATA Academy, Jamshedpur, Punjab Police, Hindustan FC, New Delhi, Lajong SC Meghalaya (qualifier), Ever-Ready Association, Kolkata (qualifier).

Entry to the stadium is by tickets (Rs. 10 per head).

The fixtures (Chennai leg): May 4: BSF v Air India 4.15 p.m.; May 5: BMFC v Karnataka Police (2.15 p.m.), HAL v Indian Bank (4.15 p.m.); May 7: Air India v Karnataka Police (2.15 p.m., HAL v BMFC (4.15 p.m.); May 8: BSF v Indian Bank (4.15 p.m.), May 9: Air India v HAL (4 15 p.m.), May 10: BSF v Karnataka Police (2.15 p.m.); BMFC v Indian Bank (4.15 p.m.); May 12: BSF v BMFC (2.15 p.m.), Karnataka Police v HAL (4.15 p.m.); May 13: Air India v Indian Bank (4.15 p.m.); May 14: BSF v HAL (4.15 p.m.); May 15: BMFC v Air India (2.15 p.m.), Karnataka Police v Indian Bank (4.15 p.m.).