Dibrugarh, July 6: Having retained the season’s first title — the C.K. Sarma football trophy, Oil India Limited (OIL) is looking forward to making its debut in the Guwahati Sports Association-organised Super Division league which is scheduled to start later this month.

The team, which boasts some of the finest players of the region, is currently stationed at Duliajan — the operational headquarters of the company.

Being stationed in Duliajan, the team was registered under the Dibrugarh district sports association and used to play in the DDSA organised league. However, the company after suggestions from various experts had been trying to relocate to Guwahati so that the players get more exposure against the very best sides of the state, something that will not be possible if the team stays in Duliajan. Super Division is the most competitive league in the state.

Both the OIL authorities and the GSA have exchanged their views and a formal announcement of OIL joining the GSA-organised super division league will be made shortly, sources said.

The proposition regarding OIL’s direct entry into the GSA-organised league, however, met with certain hurdles as some Guwahati-based football teams objected to such a move. They had objected to the direct entry for OIL as a sponsored team.

“The issues regarding the financial deal needed to be worked out very delicately with the GSA officials. As a company we too have certain limitations and cannot go ahead after a certain limit,” an OIL official said.

The OIL officials were apprehensive regarding the sponsorship amount that needed to be paid for their direct entry into the league.

The official, however, said everything had now been sorted out amicably and OIL will definitely figure among the teams, which are going to participate in the GSA super division league this season.

“After playing in the last edition of the All India Football Federation-organised Second division of the I-league, the company took the final decision to shift the team to Guwahati after which the GSA was approached formally,” the OIL official added.

This season the team is experimenting with three new players who are likely to be recruited by the company on contracts.

Talented young defender Jyotish Basumatary, who is currently playing with SAIL Academy, Calcutta, and had represented Bengal in the under-21 national meet, had caught the eye of the OIL team management.

Recruitment of the two other players — striker Manas Pratim Chetia and mid-fielder Mathews Thompson — is also final, the source said. Chetia was with Napathyo Club, Jorhat, and Thompson was with Mohammedan Sporting.

“Soon we will complete all the essential formalities regarding the recruitment of these players. We believe that they will inject fresh blood in the team,” the official added.

The three injured OIL players — defender Chandrakanta Basumatary, strikers Zoidin Hmar and F. Wary — will have a session with orthopaedic Anant Joshi very soon.

“They are some of our key players and we do hope that they will be able to join the team as soon as possible,” the official said.