National coach Armando Colaco is shocked by the JCT decision

New Delhi: In a huge setback for Indian football, JCT Phagwara on Monday decided to disband their football team citing lack of exposure and visibility as the reasons behind the decision.

The Punjab side, which were formed in 1971, were always considered the flag bearers of football in north India. But they were forced to take the decision to discontinue the team three weeks after they were relegated from the I-League.

JCT, who won the inaugural national I-League in 1996-97, were the second corporate team to wind up their football activities in recent times. Last year, Mahindra Unitedalso closed their shop because of poor visibility of the I-League.

While a stunned JCT technical director Sukhwinder Singh said he was too shocked to analyse the development, coach Parminder Singh talked about feeling of emptiness. “I can’t believe that I won’t train those boys again. It’s a sad day for me,” said the former India captain.

The decision of JCT also left around 20 of their footballers totally stranded.

In a statement issued on Monday, the club management said: “JCT Limited has taken a strategic decision to pullout for the time being till football in India shows some possibility of generating value for corporates and their brands, besides bringing up popularity of football among youngsters.

“JCT Limited being a corporate needs to justify to its stakeholders the effort versus visibility of the football team. Today football teams worldwide have become self-sustaining enterprises for which high exposure is needed to build viewership and spectators in the stadium,” the release said.

Though it was obvious that JCT were pointing fingers at All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) — without actually naming it — inability to market the game, the federation general secretary Kushal Das refused to be drawn into the blame game.

“All I can say that it is a sad decision,” Das said. “Since JCT boss Samir Thapar has said that he would continue to promote football at the grassroots level through his academy, I will find out whether we can join hands and do something for the game,” he added.

National coach Armando Colaco said he was shocked by JCT’s decision. “I can’t believe a team which once had players like Inder Singh, Parminder Singh, IM Vijayan and Bhaichung Bhutia have been disbanded. Punjab were producing maximum number of youngsters in the past few years. There is not an I-League side, who does not have former JCT players. The supply line has been disconnected,” said Colaco.

“It had to happen. Unless we control the maddening payments to players,” more team would follow JCT and Mahindra,” Colaco warned.