A TFA cadet in action against Ever-Ready football club during a B-division NFL league match organised in Jamshedpur in February. A Telegraph file picture

Jamshedpur, Aug. 9: Tata Football Academy (TFA) is in a fix. Following its stellar performance in the last year’s B-division in matches played here and at Bangalore, TFA was elevated to play in the premier division of the National Football League (NFL) this year. But with all its senior cadets having passed out, it is reluctant to play in the premier league with freshers and relative greenhorns.

While the TFA recruits cadets for a four-year course, it possibly made the mistake of using mostly final year cadets in the NFL last year. As a result, the penultimate batch of cadets got little experience or exposure. Now that this batch has moved to the final year, TFA finds itself short of experienced cadets to take on more seasoned rivals.

Backing out from the NFL at this stage might attract a hefty fine. What is more, the academy could also find itself relegated to the second division all over again.

Finally, there is the loss of face it will have to contend with. It will also complicate matters as the tournament committee of the AIFF will possibly have to arrange for a replacement for TFA in the premier league.

Two other teams besides TFA — Churchill Brothers and State Bank of Travancore — had been elevated to the premier league this year. If TFA does back out, another team from the second division might find a place in the premier league.

A.N. Singh, chairman of the TFA board of management, said the academy has been asked to confirm its participation in the premier league by the middle of August. But TFA, he said, has explained the position to the All India Football Federation and sought its advice. With the academy having released all its players, who graduated in May this year, and the transfers already over, it is left with no option but to put up a team comprising only junior players.

“Under the circumstances, we have sought the advice of AIFF chief Priya Ranjan Das Munshi,” he said.

The AIFF could direct the academy to field a team nevertheless. Or, it might decide to “exempt” TFA as a special case and waive the fine.

Sources in the TFA concede that while the academy last year planned its outing so as to enter the big league, there was not much planning on how to go about it once the goal is achieved.

There is also a section within the TFA, which holds, “As of now we are against turning TFA into a professional club. We don’t want to disturb our training system as the main motto of the academy is to produce footballers for the country.”

Building a professional football team will require different kind of structure and effort, they felt, possibly even setting up a separate wing.