AIFF invites QPR for I-league
New Delhi: In an Emergency committee meeting on Monday, the All India Football Federation decided that each I-league club would be allowed to register a maximum 30 players out of which a minimum five would be required to be U-23 Players. Minimum two U-23 players need to be in the Final 18 and at least one in the Final Playing XI. Another prominent decision was made that Queens Park Rangers had been given a tentative proposal to participate in the I-league from 2014-15 onwards after fulfilling all the criteria and Standards as required. The Committee also set up a deadline for existing I-league Clubs by which the existing Clubs would have to start constructing their own Stadium/refurbish an existing Stadium latest by June 1, 2015, the failure of which the defaulters would be axed from the league. It was also decided that the participating fee for existing Clubs to be increased from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 500,000.
Odisha, Haryana win
Bhopal: Odisha and Haryana emerged champions in the men’s and women’s events respectively in the 3rd Hockey India Sub-Junior National Championship at the Aish Bagh Hockey Stadium here on Monday. Haryana women defeated holders Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy 3-2 while Odisha scored a dominating 8-0 win over Jharkhand. The goal scorers for Haryana were Sonika (3 min), Ritu (35 min) and Navneet Kaur (49 min) while Karishma (4 min) and Neelu (24 min) were on target for MPHA. For winners in men’s section, Sudhir (6, 11, 45, 47) found the net four times while Nitin (33), Ashwin (58), Punit (60) and Rakesh (65) scored a goal each.
Gunneswaran wins ITF event
Chennai: Unseeded Prajnesh Gunneswaran of India got the better of Jui-Chen Hung of Taipei in a close first round match singles in the MPTA ITF Men’s ITF Futures tennis championship here on Monday. Prajnesh won the first set 6-4 and was leading 5-3 in the second when Jui-Chen Hung fought back with some excellent stroke play on both flanks to save four match points and level the score at 5-all. He went on to win the set 7-5. In an interesting third set, both players held serves to take the set into the tie breaker. Prajnesh once again got into his own and ran away with a 5-1 lead and won it 7-2 to win the set and the match in 3.15 hours.
‘No plans to dismantle team’
Kolkata: Pailan Group stated on Monday that they have no plans to withdraw their support to the AIFF developmental side but acknowledged that there was a financial dispute with the body and they expect an early resolution. Media reports had claimed the group may end their association with the side, Pailan Arrows. A senior AIFF official was quoted as saying that the football team is yet to play around 70 lakh sponsors’ payment. Pailan Group shot back and said that the AIFF also owed them Rs 44 lakh. PNS/Agencies