NFL 2003-03

The eighth National Football League will kick-off on November 28 with new entrants Mohammedan Sporting taking on former champions Mohun Bagan in the inaugural match at the Salt Lake stadium in Kolkata.

Making the announcement in Kolkata on Wednesday, All India Football Federation secretary Alberto Colaco said the matches in the tournament, which will feature the country's 12 leading teams, will be hosted in five venues across the country.

In order to encourage the participating teams to have the best possible preparations for the tournament, the AIFF announced a host of measures including raising financial gains for the participants, Colaco said.

"The subsidy given to the participating teams will be raised from Rs 100,000 to Rs 250,000. Besides, the gate percentage paid to home teams will also be increased from 30 per cent to 40 per cent," he said.

This year's tournament will be played with ADIDAS Fevernova footballs, which were used in the 2002 World Cup.

Colaco said while the fixtures for 11 rounds of the first leg were finalised today, the remaining matches will be decided after the draw of the World Cup preliminary rounds in Germany on December 5.

Besides defending champions East Bengal, the 11 other teams in the fray are: Salgaocar, Vasco Sports Club, JCT Football Club, Churchill Brothers, Dempo Sports Club, Mohun Bagan, Mahindra United, Tollygunge Agragami, Indian Bank and two new entrants, Haywards Sporting and Mohammedan Sporting.

AIFF president Priyaranjan Dasmunshi told newspersons that the sponsors and broadcaster for the NFL is being finalised later and will be announced next week.

The AIFF, he said, also decided to make it mandatory for all NFL teams to have their under-19 teams from next season.

"It will be compulsory for all the teams participating in the NFL to have their under-19 squads from next year. We are taking steps to organise tournaments for the junior sides," he said.

Dasmunshi said the NFL technical committee will obtain videos for as many matches possible for technical review of the performance of the players and referees.

Dwelling upon the recurring problem regarding the clubs' resentment and protest against release of players for national duty, the AIFF president said, "We have decided that if any player leaves the national camp citing injury and is found to be taking part in club matches, he will be immediately suspended. The disciplinary committee will take any further decision."