Giridih, Dec. 22: ?Jharkhand football will leave its impact in the forthcoming National Games scheduled to be held in the state in 2007.

Within five years, our team will have its own identity in the national football arena,? said the Jharkhand football association convener. An ambitious statement from Gulam Rabbani but given that the state football association just got its affiliation from the All India Football Federation (AIFF), there was cause to be excited and optimistic.

The convener, who was in a celebratory mood, informed that the plans of the football association were shown to the state football?s interim committee by the AIFF in its annual general meeting held in Delhi on December 17 and 18.

The notification is yet to be served but since the meeting was also attended by the AIFF president, Priyaranjan Das Munshi who is also the Union water resources minister, and general secretary Albert Claso, the JFA people have no doubt about getting an affiliation.

The convener informed that now the executive members would hold a meeting and chalked out a plan to develop the game in state.

Thereafter, the JFA people will meet chief minister Arjun Munda and state sports minister Sudesh Mahto to present their plan.

Rabbani further added that ?the JFA was waiting for this moment since the state was separated from Bihar. In January, 2003, we had formed the interim committee that was working towards this goal.??Now our first step will be to find sponsors to promote the game in the state and build a good team to compete in the national arena,? he said.

Optimistic about the prospects of the game in the state, the convener added: ?There is no dearth of football talent in the state. Last year, when we did not have an interim committee or support from anyone, our boys won the U-19 national championship. Hence after getting the affiliation, we hope do much better.?