Assam defender Sushanta Mazumdar (left) at the final workout session at Nehru Stadium in Guwahati on Friday. Picture by Biju Boro

T. AO TROPHY

Guwahati, March 12: Striker Utpal Basumatary and midfielder Prasanta Bharali have been left out as defending champions Assam announced today a list of 22 players for the second Talimeren Ao Trophy football tournament in Imphal from Monday.

Assam coach-cum-manager Ganesh Rai expressed confidence that the team has the ability to defend the crown, but would be a tough campaign because the players had little time to prepare.

On the two prolific regulars of the team, who could not make the trip to Imphal, the coach said: “It is sad they are not going. Bharali has a knee problem, while Utpal is recuperating from multiple fractures in his chest. However, the rest of the team is fit and has experience to go the distance despite the short conditioning camp.”

Basumatary, the Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB) forward, and Bharali of NF Railway are among the best in the state. Their places have gone to Bhupen Gogoi and Kushal Rajkonwar respectively.

The team leaves for Imphal tomorrow.

Assam, according to Rai, is in the group of death. “Our group has Nagaland, Mizoram, Sports Authority of India (blue) and Sikkim.”

The other group has last year’s runners-up and hosts Manipur, Sports Authority of India (red), Tripura, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh.

In the first edition, Assam defeated Manipur twice — once in the first round (3-1) and next in the hard-fought final 5-2.

Manipur, too, have announced their team, says our Imphal correspondent.

THE TEAMS

Manipur: H. Noren, C. Chand Singh

(goalkeepers), L. Shyamananda, K. Premkumar, I. Ranabir, M. Meghachandra Singh, Thangthang Kom, Md Khan, M. Lenpa (defenders), K. Sanaton, Anil Golmei, K. Kanta, T. Rohen, C. Shyamchand, S. Manglemjao, M. Nepolean (midfielders), I. Ni-

lakumar, Bany Chiru, T. Chandramohon and W. Ajit (forwards).

Assam: Govinda Boro, K. Bijen Singh (goalkkepers), Janak Basumatary, Sushanta Mazumdar, Debojit Baruah, Zenith Sharma, Birendra Narzary, Ratul Sonowal, Probodh Gogoi, H.L. Rauta, Ashok Ramchiary, Kushal Rajkonwar, Kamal Chetri, Sanjay Brahma

(defenders), Birjab Mushahary, Bhimkanta Sonowal, Bhupen Gogoi, Sanjeeva Rongpi, Padum Rabha and Duleshwar Rabha (forwards). Standbys: Durlov Gogoi, Subir Goswami, Ghana Gogoi, Khirode Das and Amulya Das. Coach-cum-manager: Ganesh Rai. Assistant coach: Jewel Bey.