25 players including three from Kerala - MP Sakeer, CS Sabeeth and Shahabaz Saleel - has been called up for the preparatory camp for India's Olympic Qualifiers against Qatar that will be held in home and away basis. The camp will be held from June 10 at Pune.
This is the first time Sakeer and Saleel has been named in the national team camp. Sakeer has been in fine form this season, scoring goals as well as providing assists for Churchill Brothers. Sakeer was the captain of Viva Kerala in the 2009-10 season.
Meanwhile Saleel was instrumental in Viva's promotion into the top division two seasons back. Saleel left for ONGC FC after winning promotion with Viva Kerala and has been playing for the Mumbai-based club for the last two seasons.
The other Malayalee, Sabeeth is also named in the probables list for the FIFA World Cup 2014 Qualifiers. Sabeeth plays for Viva Kerala in the I-League.
Goalkeepers: Laxmikant Kattimani (Dempo SC), Jagroop Singh, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Ravikumar (all Indian Arrows)
Defenders: Inderpreet Singh, Raju Eknath Gaikwad, Deepak Devrani, R Vishal Kumar, Abhishek Das, Lalrozama Fenai (all Indian Arrows), Arnab Mondal (Chirag United), Shahabaz Saleel (ONGC)
Midfielders: Jewel Raja Sheikh, Shilton Sydney D’Silva, Ongnam Milan Singh, Jibon Singh, Lalrindika Ralte (all Indian Arrows), Gurjinder Kumar (Pune FC), Snehasis Chakraborthy (McDowell's Mohun Bagan), Anthony Barbosa (Salgaocar SC), MP Sakeer (Churchill Brothers)
Forwards: Jeje Lalpekhlua, Manandeep Singh, Jagtar Singh (all Indian Arrows), CS Sabeeth (Viva Kerala)
From the archive. First published on footballkerala.com on Friday 3 June 2011, restored from the site's 2012 database. Text as originally published.
Comments · 3
how can sakeer play for under 23 olympics in 2011 when he is 24yr old a season before. Is it our indian style, by the way, lots of indian and nigerian or african foreign players are lying about age in indian football circuit. hahhaa
As per rules, each team can register three players above the age of 23 for Olympic football...
Thanks, so it is not under 23. It is under 23 and something world soccer tournamant. I am a regular follower of ileague of my passion and i get pissed off because many our indian players as well as only africains lie age when playing soccer or football in india. are u with me. what can we do about it.