MUMBAI: The Maharashtra football team, runners-up at the recently concluded Santosh Trophy, was felicitated in a function at the Cooperage on Saturday.
Praful Patel, Union minister for Civil Aviation and Western India Football Association (WIFA) president, distributed a cash prize of Rs 3,00,000 to the members of the team. Maharashtra had lost to Goa (3-1) in the final of the tournament in Kochi.
Ironically, the Cooperage looked like anything but a playing field. Leased out for high profile weddings, the ground could have easily been mistaken for a fair with grandiose sets. This, with the National Football League, only a month away. So if the venue of the home matches of the Mahindra United and Air India does move to Brabourne Stadium, the WIFA authorities have no one but themselves to blame.
Despite this, 2005 has been fruitful for the state in football. Mahindra United won the Federation Cup in Goa, before an inspiring performance of the state team in Santosh trophy.
“Nobody gave us a chance before the tournament. However, they rose to the occasion,” said coach Irenio Vaz. Soccor Velho, Reuben D’Souza and Israt Kamal were the finds of the tournament and have been selected in the national camp for the SAFF Cup in Pakistan. Mahindra’s Steven Dias carried his Federation Cup form into the tournament and combined well with Abhishek Yadav in vanguard.
“The boys’ hardwork showed in the results,” said the technical director Dereyk Desouza. “Abhishek played an important role in bringing the team together.” Yadav, however, missed the final due to an injury.
