Penalty shots will be the clincher

Jamshedpur, Sept. 14: After watching the ongoing Jamshedpur Sporting Association (JSA) football league for over a month now, soccer lovers of the city are in for a unique tournament played in a different format.

The one-day tourney ?which is being organised by the newly-formed Jamshedpur Veteran Footballers? Association (JVFA) at Gopal Maidan, on September 18 ? has been coined Football Mela.

Explaining the rules of the tournament, JVFA president Mohammad Ismail Ansari told The Telegraph that the 15-minute matches would have no off-sides and results would not be determined by the number of goals scored in regular time.

?Results would be determined after penalty shoot-out,? he said, adding that the team that scores the maximum number of goals, would be winners.

Two points would be awarded for each goal scored in regular time and these would be added to the goals during penalty shoot.

?The basic aim behind this effort was to make the participants practice penalty shots. We have observed that most footballers are found wanting when it comes to tie-breakers,? Ansari said.

However, rest of the rules would remain the same. The JVFA said six teams, including Tata Steel, Jamshedpur Football Academy, Jharkhand Soccer Academy and Aruna Samity have so far confirmed participation.

?We are expecting 10-12 teams for the tournament,? he added.

According to Ansari, the idea behind organising the tourney was to provide an opportunity to former footballers to interact with each other. ?The former players would be present during the tournament and this would help them interact with each other,? Ansari said.

Some of the sports functionaries, who have devoted their life for the upliftment of football in the city, would be felicitated.

?Besides, we would also felicitate players with the best footballer of the year trophy. The winner of the award would be decided on the basis of performance in the JSA league matches?, he added.

Ansari said the tournament was being organised to commemorate JRD Tata's birth anniversary.

?We had earlier planned a get-together of veteran footballers but the response was not very positive. The tournament will give them enough opportunity to interact with each other,? he added.

Some of the former players in the city are in a bad state ? both physically and financially. May be the JVFA can come forward with some help. We are trying to identify such players,? he said, adding that the association was formed in March this year.

Sunil Mahto, the local MP, would grace the occasion as the chief guest. Some other dignitaries would also e invited to watch the tournament.