Dronacharya coach Bimal Ghosh is disappointed with Samir Murmu’s surprising and unfortunate exclusion from the under-23 Indian squad for the two forthcoming friendly matches the national team will be participating in. 

The national under-23 squad left on Wednesday for Kuala Lumpur to take part in two preparatory matches on 22nd and 25th March. 

Among the 26 footballers who were called up in the four-day training camp at New Delhi three footballers, Samir Murmu from the Indian army (Services), Snathoi Meetei from Manipur, and Sandip Mandi from Inter-Kashi do not have experience playing in the ISL so far. Sandip Mandi has only been selected in the final 23-member squad for the trip. 

Dronacharya coach Bimal Ghosh who has joined the Federation as one of the chief spotters, was in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh to watch the recently-concluded Santosh trophy and spot potential young footballers for the under-23 preparatory trip. 

He spotted Manipur's Sanathoi Meetei and Samir Murmu, the 22-year-old striker from the Santosh Trophy champion Services. 

The Dronacharya coach when asked about both the footballers' exclusion from the final squad revealed he was upset. “The trip where you are going to play friendly matches was appropriate to test the inexperienced but potential young footballers like Samir Murmu and Sanathoi Meetei. We often raise questions about what will be Sunil Chhteri’s replacement in the future."

He added, "Murmu played as a striker in the Santosh Trophy, scoring 10 goals. Meetei, despite playing as a wing-half scored 11 goals for Manipur. Both of them were  consistent in scoring. they have huge potential. I do not feel I spotted mediocre footballers and the coaches also should look forward to the future and think that the preparatory trips are the competitions where they can try to create a supply-line for the future of Indian football. I am disappointed,” opined Ghosh.

Samir Murmu was not only the top scorer in the prestigious Santosh trophy, scoring 10 goals in 15 matches since the tournament’s qualifying phase. He also won the 'Player of the Tournament' award in the Santosh Trophy. 

Samir was the third footballer from Services after Arjun Tudu and P Jain to have been called up to the national preparatory camp. The footballer from East Singbhum district, Jharkhand was optimistic that he would ensure a berth in the final squad. 

While returning from New Delhi on Wednesday Samir said, "Although it was only four-day training, I showed my natural game, giving my best and the coaches also did not seem upset with my performance. It might be that playing in the ISL was the major criterion to get selected in the final team."

Murmu, despite being upset, seems to have started motivating himself saying, “The dream of playing for under-23 India has been over as from now on, I will be eligible only to play in the senior category. I am determined to get into the senior national team before the under-23 footballers who toured Malaysia.”