Bagan’s title No. 28

Karim Bencherifa, who combines a good academic profile with a fine coaching record, was the force behind Mohun Bagan’s triumph this year.

Last year it was Brazilian Carlos Roberto Silva; this year it is Karim Bencherifa of Morocco. The employment of foreign coaches seems to be contributing to Mohun Bagan’s success in the Calcutta Football League (CFL). The club retained the premier division title in the CFL recently.

Though Mohun Bagan may not be doing too well in the National Football League (now I-League), the oldest football club in Asia is striking it rich in one of the oldest football leagues in the world (the CFL was founded in 1898). Mohun Bagan’s triumph this year was the 28th occasion that the club had won the title in the tournament’s 110-year history. The win also ended a long wait for the club, which was able to retain the CFL premier division crown for the first time in 14 years (the last time it happened was in 1983 and 1984).

Bencherifa, the 40-year-old Moroccan who combines a good academic profile with a fine coaching record, was the force behind Mohun Bagan’s triumph this year. He went a step ahead of his Brazilian predecessor by infusing professionalism in a team that was made up of relatively greenhorns.

Another interesting aspect of the League this year was the re-emergence of Mohammedan Sporting as a big challenger to the hegemony of Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. Sporting, which constantly challenged Mohun Bagan’s position at the top of the table, finished one point adrift of the champion. East Bengal was pushed to the third spot, which was really surprising considering that the club had won the title 31 times — the most by any team in the CFL.

The top three clubs — Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting — had a smooth beginning, but the chinks in the East Bengal armour were evident all too soon. The team lost points after being held 1-1 by George Telegraph in its second match. East Bengal then suffered a massive jolt in the next match as it was trounced 3-1 by Mohammedan Sporting.

Sporting unleashed its African firepower, the attacking duo of Liberian Theodore Sunday Wrobeh and Nigerian Mike Okoro, against East Bengal. The two showed good form all through the tournament and were the men behind Sporting’s comeback. Wrobeh overcame his injury problems to emerge the top scorer of the League with 11 goals.

During its brilliant run Sporting even defeated Mohun Bagan 2-1. The teams were level 1-1 before Bagan’s defender Mohan Raj scored an own goal that helped Sporting take full points from the match.

Despite its remarkable wins against fancied opponents, Sporting had its erratic moments that ruined its chances of breaking its 27-year title drought. It dropped points by losing 1-3 to George Telegraph and drawing 1-1 with Calcutta Port Trust in the first leg. In the second leg it lost seven more points by drawing two matches — against Railway FC and Mohun Bagan — and losing to East Bengal.

In the final analysis, it was Sporting’s loss to East Bengal that clinched the issue for Mohun Bagan, which drew four and lost one match in the tournament.

Mohun Bagan and to a greater extent East Bengal lost some of their regular players who were on national duty at the time. The absence of the stars seemed to hit East Bengal more than Mohun Bagan, which made good use of a clutch of youngsters recruited from the Tata Football Academy.

Bencherifa proved to be a fine strategist, shuffling his resources well. His reliance on youth was proved right when Lalawmpuia (eight goals) outshone Mohun Bagan’s talismanic Brazilian striker Jose Barreto (seven goals) in terms of scoring goals. Youngsters such as Rakesh Masih, Branco Cardoso, Rino Anto, Henry Gangte combined well with the seniors like Barreto, Habibur Rehamn Mondal and Lalkamal Bhowmik among others.

Final standings: 1. Mohun Bagan 31 points, 2. Mohammedan Sporting 30, 3. East Bengal 25, 4. George Telegraph SC 20, 5. Calcutta Port Trust 16, 6. Chirag United SC 12, 7. Railway FC 10, 8. Peerless SC 4.

* * *The success of Super Six

That Chennai continues to be the hub of volleyball in Tamil Nadu needs no reiteration. But what needs to be emphasised is the effort taken to maintain the interest in the sport and keep the courts on the Nellai Friends Volleyball Club premises at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium busy.

No part of the state or for that matter any city in the country has devoted so much attention to the growth of volleyball. The Chennai District Volleyball Association (CDVA) has carved a niche for itself by hosting or helping host events for various segments. While the conduct of the league and regular events like the dawn-to-dusk tournament specially for the city and district colleges during the popular Bertram Memorial tournaments (staged by the Loyola College) is praiseworthy, the CDVA came up with the concept of a super six Champions Trophy last month. Backed by the Hindustan University and Sports Foundation and with a prize money of Rs.100,000, the tournament, as expected, was a success. The matches were viewed by a goodly audience daily. The added attraction was a league-cum-knock-out tournament for women.

Indian Overseas Bank (pic), possessing the best of talent in the state, had an enviable run, winning all its five matches and then overcoming the challenge of Southern Railway in the deciding encounter. Skipper Natarajan was IOB’s outstanding player. He proved himself to be an all-rounder, doing well both in defence and attack. The other notable player was Ukkirapandian whose consistency confirmed his rising stature on the national scene. IOB claimed a cash award of Rs. 25,000.

In the women’s section, St. Joseph’s College of Engineering won the Dr. K. C. G. Verghese Memorial Rolling Trophy.

Apart from generous contribution from the Hindustan Sports Foundation, headed by Ashok Varghese, the enthusiasm and interest shown by Walter I. Dawaram, President, Nellai Friends VC, and the hardworking secretary, A. K. Chitrapandian, contributed to the success of the super six event.

The final positions

Men: 1. Indian Overseas Bank (10 points), 2. Southern Railway (9), 3. Indian Bank (8), 4. ICF (7), 5. Sathyabhama University (6) and SDAT (5).

* * *Meteoric rise

Gaya Prashad Gupta, a farmer from Gorakhpur, wouldn’t have imagined in his wildest dreams that his son would one day turn out to be a successful golfer. Harendra Gupta, one of the five siblings who was fortunate enough to take up golf as a career, has climbed up the ladder of success in quick time, what with his name figuring in the top 10 of the PGTI Order of Merit in the current season.

However, the climb wasn’t easy for the 24-year-old golfer from Chandigarh. Born into a large family, Harendra had to work as a caddie to supplement his father’s income for a while. “I would go to Sector 7 Chandigarh golf course early in the morning and return only in the evening. I used to earn Rs. 30 a day for doing duty over 18 holes,” Harendra recollected. When the course was relatively free, he would take the opportunity to fine tune his putting skills.

In his first major junior tournament in 1999, Harendra finished 17th and this encouraged him to improve his game further. However, it was the Western India junior tournament in Mumbai in 2000 that gave him the confidence to pursue golf seriously. With help from one of his older brothers who was a vegetable vendor, Harendra competed in many junior tournaments. His consistent performances made him a top junior player in the country.

“In 2001, I got my biggest break and I finished junior No. 1 in India,” Harendra said.

From thereon, Harendra did not look back. And by the time he turned professional in 2004, he gave ample evidence of his growing potential. In the 2006-07 PGTI season, Harendra recorded three top-10 and four top-20 finishes from 10 starts and finished 18th in the Order of Merit. Now he is placed eighth in the Order of Merit list.

Harendra’s maiden PGTI title this season was memorable for it came on his home course — the Chandigarh Golf Club — where he learnt the rudiments of the game as a caddie. What was remarkable about his victory was that he upstaged two giants of Indian professional golf, Ashok Kumar and Mukesh Kumar. In his brief visit to the Asian Tour two years ago, Harendra competed in 10 tournaments and made the cut in three of them. “I want to do better in the Asian circuit,” he said.

Harendra, who has won four titles overall, including one this season, has matured into a complete golfer. He has improved his game and approach considerably. “I don’t have any great ambition. All I want to do is play well and let my performances speak for me,” said Harendra.