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Former Secretary of All India Football Federation (AIFF), PP Lakshmanan passed away today morning at his residence at Kannur, Kerara.
His tenure as the AIFF Secretary went on from 1988 to 1996. Lakshmanan was a passionate lover of the beautiful game and sincerely believed in the development of the game.
Along with Priya Ranjan Das Munsi the then President of AIFF and A R Khaleel (Treasurer, AIFF), and encouragement from Peter Vellapan, Asian Football Confederation, Secretary, he introduced and promoted the National Football League (NFL) in 1996.
State association, KSFA, condoled the death of the former AIFF Secretary.
Roots Football School (RFS) will be representing Garden City in the final round of U13 Youth League. For the first time AIFF is conducting a National League for this age category. 70 teams took part in the U13 Youth League for which the pre-qualifying rounds were kicked-off in October last year.
RFS had a brilliant run in the Karnataka Zone qualifiers getting the better of heavyweights Bengaluru FC and Ozone FCB and maintaining an all-win record.
The final round comprising of eleven teams distributed in three groups will be playing at the various venues in Kolkata.
RFS is placed in Group C along with Chennaiyin Football Club, Sudeva Football Club, and Sports Authority of India (EZ). The matches will be played at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan Practice Ground, Salt Lake.
Group A comprises of Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools, Minerva Punjab FC, Aizawl, and, Reliance Foundation Young Champs and Group B - Mohammedan Sporting Club, Dempo Sports Club, and Shillong Lajong Football Club.
- 9 am, April 29, 2018: RFS 1 Vs Chennaiyin 1
- 9 am, May 1, 2018: RFS 0 Vs SAI – EZ 5
- 9 am, May 3, 2018: RFS 1 Vs Sudeva 9
Bengaluru FC Media
The Sree Kanteerava Stadium will play host to its first game since the Indian Super League final when Albert Roca’s Bengaluru FC side welcome New Radiant SC in a 2018 AFC Cup group stage clash, on Tuesday. Having won their six previous AFC Cup games on the trot, Roca stressed the need for his Blues to maintain consistency in a competition in which they have reached the semifinal stage for two consecutive seasons.
“New Radiant are a very good side and have some quality players in their ranks. We saw them play against Aizawl and in Dhaka and we’re sure that we will have to be at our best to take anything away from them,” said the Spaniard, speaking at the pre-match press conference.
Bengaluru claimed a 1-0 win at the Fortress in their opening match of the 2018 AFC Cup group stages with a win against Abahani Dhaka before a 3-1 away defeat of Aizawl in Guwahati earlier this month. Striker Daniel Lalhlimpuia scored in both games, and could be set to make a start on Tuesday.
“We have some players who are in form and others who have been waiting for their chance. I will have to rest a few key players because we have a Super Cup quarterfinal coming up but I am sure that those who take the field will give their best,” added the Spaniard.
The Blues sit atop the standings in Group E, with two wins from two games, having scored four goals and conceded just one. Bengaluru boast a perfect record against Maldivian sides, with six wins from as many games over three seasons of the continental competition. The only major doubt for the Blues is central defender Juanan Gonzalez, who is nursing an injury sustained in the closing stages of the Indian Super League.
New Radiant, AFC Cup semifinalists in 2005 and the only Maldivian club to have progressed beyond group stages in the AFC cup on multiple occasions, come into the game with numbers identical to those of Roca’s men, having won their opening game against Aizawl 3-1 in Henveiru, before a 1-0 win against Abahani Dhaka in Bangladesh.
Talismanic striker Ali Ashfaq is the man in form and Roca admits the Bengaluru back line will need to be sharper than usual. “We were all upset with the way we conceded against Aizawl but we showed enough character to come back. We cannot afford to make those mistakes against New Radiant who have quality in attack. The game is a chance for us to go ahead on points alone and it’s one we must work hard to make count.”
Kick-off at the Fortress is at 8 pm and will be telecast live on the AFC Cup Facebook page.
Tejaswini, a promising footballer died owing to an accident near the PES College flyover yesterday. She was only 22 years old. She represented Karnataka in Senior Women’s National at Assam in 2015.
Tejaswini was a product of SAI Training Centre Scheme, she also represented Bangalore in inter-district competition. Her body will be taken to Hassan for last rites.
KSFA and BDFA condoled the death of the talented footballer.
Bengaluru FC Media
Goals from Daniel Segovia (45+1’), Rahul Bheke (63’) and Daniel Lalhlimpuia (77’) ensured Bengaluru FC maintained their perfect start to their Group E campaign of the AFC Cup with a 3-1 win over Aizawl FC at the Indira Gandhi Stadium, in Guwahati, on Thursday.
Trailing after an early setback, Albert Roca’s boys kept their calm and went about staging an assured comeback that now sees them with six points from two games. The Spaniard underlined the faith he had in the squad that has been getting more than just the job done for the Blues in this season’s continental campaign so far, by naming Sunil Chhetri, Gurpreet Singh and Udanta Singh among others, on the bench.
The Blues got off to a poor start under the rain conceding inside five minutes. Skipper Lalthuammawia Ralte, who rushed ahead to clear a through pass from Andrei Ionescu aimed at attacker Albert Zohmingmawia, found his effort come off striker Leonce Dodoz (5’) and roll into an empty net to give the hosts an early lead.
While Aizawl opted to protect their lead by sitting back, the next forty minutes saw Bengaluru press and dominate proceedings spare the odd attack on the counter from the hosts. The Blues finally made the huge chunk of possession count at the stroke of half time. Erik Paartalu’s header from a Bengaluru corner caught the hand of Dodoz in the box and the referee pointed to the spot. Segovia stepped up to calmly slot home his first goal since joining the club in the middle of the season, to make it 1-1.
Bengaluru and Segovia had a big chance to score a second minutes into the start of the second half, but the striker fluffed his lines from the spot after Subhasish Bose was brought down in the box. Segovia sent Avilash Paul the wrong way only to see his take come off the post and roll out.
But the Blues refused to let the miss dampen their chase for the lead and their wait wasn’t too long before they got the goal to send them ahead. A corner played short saw Alwyn George lose a man before sending in a cross that Bheke did well to nod home in the 63rd minute.
Second half substitute Lalhlimpuia who scored the winner in the Blues’ Group E opener against Abahani Dhaka Limited, got his second of the campaign in the 77th minute. Setting off on a run down the left with the ball, Bose squared the ball perfectly for Lalhlimpuia who took a touch before slotting past Paul who could maybe have done better to keep it out.
Lalhlimpuia could have got his second of the night after some fantastic work by George saw him tee up the striker. But this time, Paul got enough of a hand on the ball to keep it out.
Bengaluru now host Maldivian side New Radiant SC at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on April 10.
