GUWAHATI, May 5 � Despite their disqualification from the Manchester Cup U-15 Inter Academy Football Tournament this year, Gauhati Town Club (GTC) is determined to continue running the academy on a positive note. Addressing a press conference here today, GTC general secretary Devajit Saikia said it was unfortunate that two of the 17-member team to the Manchester Cup championship at Jamshedpur were found over aged after undergoing MRI test.
But Saikia clarified that they had sent the team to Jamshedpur after completing all the formalities. He informed the media that they had produced birth certificates, issued by competent authority and medical report issued by a doctors� panel of Guwahati Medical College Hospital along with an undertaking of Assam Football Association (AFA) secretary Ankur Dutta to the organisers at Jamshedpur. But two their players � Shyam Narzary and Moheswar Boro � were found above 15 years and as a result the whole team was disqualified for two years from this championship.
Saikia claimed that they are the only football academy team in Assam who fulfil all the criteria formulated by All India Football Federation. He further revealed that the teams which took part in the qualifying round, organised by AFA here recently, never fulfil all the AIFF guidelines. Before leaving for Jamshedpur, the GTC officials asked AFA to conduct MRI tests on the players at GTC expense, but AFA declined to conduct the test, claimed Saikia.
