Rajasthan United FC plans to set-up a permanent coaching program in Andaman
Sudeep Pakrashi: Rajasthan United FC, the I-League team that finished in the fifth position in the League last season, has set a vision for the next five years. The club’s key purpose is to build up a senior squad which will have most of the potential footballers, explored and nurtured from its academy. The club has already been running a state-of-the-art academy in Jaipur, built on 17 acres of land, which got a three-star accreditation from the All India Football Federation. The academy has two full-sized international grounds, training pitches, and all other modern amenities, and two hostels where nearly 600 boys can stay. The academy is already nurturing the youth development program, starting from 13 years to 17 years, where the 17-year-old and post-17-year-old potential footballers can be promoted to the reserve senior squad. Rajasthan United FC has already conducted selection trials across a few states like Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu to explore and scout talented kids. The club recently took a drive with the same purpose in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, the first time by any Indian football club are which became the first Indian professional football club to have conducted a selection trial with the age-group players (from under-13 to under-17) has plans to run a long-term grass-route and youth development program in the island. The club, which also has a community development program, is already in the process of discussing with the schools in the islands and then wants to introduce a permanent coaching program. One of the club’s senior executives revealed, “Our key purpose is to explore and nurture talented youth and then make them a quality footballer for the senior team. Three footballers from our academy have represented the under-20 SAFF-winning Indian team. So, we can find potential footballers in numbers, then quality will automatically come up.” The club is also in talks with a couple of top academies in Germany and Spain for the education of its coaches as well as for the ultimate development of its academy boys through exchange.
I-League commercial partner requests AIFF not to claim pending dues from its domestic meets!
The commercial partner of the I-League and a few other major domestic competitions has requested the All India Football Federation (AIFF) not to claim the pending dues, which amounts to around Rs 2.5 crore. According to a report from News9 Sports, the AIFF AIFF signed a commercial rights agreement for I-League, I-League 2, Indian Women’s League, Santosh Trophy and Rajmata Jijabai Trophy (senior women’s national championship) with Shrachi Sports Endeavour Pvt Ltd for the production and broadcast of 338 matches in the 2024-25 season in December last year. As per the agreement, Shrachi was due to pay Rs 2.5 crore in four instalments, each amounting to Rs 62,50,000 (25 percent). The first instalment was agreed to be paid on “execution of the agreement”, followed by the second one “no later than seven days before the commencement of the first competition of the season scheduled under this agreement”. The deal was signed in the presence of the AIFF president, Kalyan Chaubey, and reported on the official website of the AIFF on 2nd December last year. But the AIFF could not press for the payment due on “execution of the agreement”. As its reflection, the second installment has not yet been paid, although the season kicked off in earnest. The third instalment was to be made “within seven days of the completion of fifty per cent (50%) of the matches of the season” while the fourth and final one was to be paid “no later than seven days before the commencement of the last competition of the season”. Senior men’s and women’s club leagues and national championship matches were agreed to be streamed on the SSEN app, while 110 of the 132 I-League matches were to be broadcast live on Sony Sports Network. Not only were these conditions never fully met as the season concluded in April, but Shrachi is yet to pay any of the four instalments, despite being sent a reminder. Instead, through a letter, they have requested the federation to waive off the entire amount, claiming a loss of around Rs 1.50 crore. “We have fulfilled all contractual obligations but faced some infrastructural issues leading to the absence of live feed in some matches. We have informed the AIFF about the challenges faced in delivery. Now it is up to them to consider it,” a Shrachi official told News9 Sports, preferring not to be named as the matter is under consideration. “Time is of the essence about the Right Holder’s payment obligations hereunder. Interest shall be payable by the Rights Holder to the AIFF on any late payments of any amount, including any instalment of the Rights Fee at a rate of twelve per cent (12%) per annum,” it is written in the agreement paper. “All payments under this Agreement herein shall be due on the dates specified herein from the Rights Holder from the AIFF, irrespective of the receipt of an invoice from the AIFF.” At its executive committee meeting on Wednesday, the AIFF formed a three-member panel to deliberate and review the request, while an Ex Co member proposed to extend the deal with a high concession so that they make up for the losses incurred this season. It was met with objection from certain members who wondered why such favours were being considered for the company that has defaulted on payments at a time when the AIFF is in dire need of funds. “Why didn’t the AIFF ask for the 25% signing-on amount and the second instalment as per the deal?” a member wondered. The newly formed committee is expected to take around a month to review Shrachi’s request and then recommend a way forward.
Playing Gukesh is ‘like playing a computer!’ says Kasparov
The man with the ‘golden arms’, one of the predecessors of the present-day champions on the world champion’s throne, hailed as the world’s greatest chess player, Garry Kasparov, was doing commentary for the game which Gukesh bagged his pocket, dethroning Magnas Carlsen again for the second consecutive time in Jagreb. Kasparov could not resist admiring Gukesh in commentary, and plenty of his praise came even before Gukesh had managed to turn the game around and put Carlsen under pressure before going on to force the world no 1 to resign. Kasparov, who famously played some much-publicised games in the 1990s against machines like IBM’s Deep Blue, compared Gukesh to a machine. “He’s a player that’s hard to beat. Gukesh has many lives (in each game). You have to beat him many times. There is some resemblance (to computers). He has a resilience that reminds me of computers. He’s probably the most resilient player. Even Magnus has other advantages. But when it comes to resilience, he’s absolutely amazing. If you look at the infamous game against Magnus (at Norway Chess), I don’t recall Magnus ever losing a game when he had an advantage of +3 or +4. Why he reminds me of computers is that with machines, you lose your concentration, and you’re dead. With Gukesh, you have to beat him five times,” Kasparov said. After the defeat, Kasparov had said: “Now we can question Magnus’ domination. This is not just his second loss to Gukesh; it’s a convincing loss. It’s not a miracle… or that Gukesh just kept benefitting from Magnus’ terrible mistakes. It was a game that was a big fight. And Magnus lost.”
Mourning Pedro does not want to participate in the quarterfinal!
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca confirmed on Thursday that forward Pedro Neto will decide whether to play in Friday’s Club World Cup quarterfinal against Palmeiras, as the Portuguese international mourns the tragic death of his close friend and teammate Diego Jota. Jota, a Liverpool forward, and his brother were killed in a car accident in northwestern Spain on Thursday morning when their Lamborghini veered off the road and caught fire. Neto, deeply affected by the loss, was excused from training but chose to remain with the squad in Philadelphia. “It’s a difficult moment. You feel helpless,” Maresca said in a press conference. “Pedro is more than sad, and we are all here to support him. Any decision he makes—whether to play or not—is the right one, and we will back him fully.” Neto’s potential absence adds a layer of uncertainty for Chelsea, which is preparing to face a Palmeiras side featuring 18-year-old winger Estevao Willian, a player set to join the Blues after the tournament. Estevao was signed last year for an initial 34 million Euros, with add-ons potentially bringing the deal to 67 million, according to British media.
