This is for the third time

While on the pretext of improving the standrad of football in the North-East, secretary of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), K.N. Mour is organising major football tournaments like Santosh Trophy (national championship) in the region, at the same time under his very nose, the North-Eastern footballers are regularly being ignored by national coach Sayeed Nayeemuddin.

The most glaring example of discrimination against the footballers of the region came to light, when players like Somatai Shaiza (Soso) and Gunabir Singh do not find a place among the 44 players asked to attend the trial for the selection of Indian team for the Bangkok Asian Games to be held later this year.

This is for the third time that Soso has been ignored by Nayeemuddin, while former junior India captain Gunabir Singh's fine performance for Mohammedan Sporting of Calcutta fell short to win a look from the national coach.

According to experts, in their present form, both Soso and Gunabir Singh are automatic choices for the national side. Moreover, they feel that Baichung-Soso combination can be very handy for the coach, especially when India will have to depend largely on counter attacks while the former is very dangerous in the penetrative zone, if fed properly, the later is capable of sending accurate lone passes from the flanks.

Gunabir's strongest point is his endurance and sustamability on the field unlike most of the other midfielders in the country. In modern day's football, where more stress is being put on strength and stamina than skill, the experts feel that the absence of a midfielder like Gunabir will definitely tell on the India team.

This is not the first time that Nayeem has overlooked these two for inclusion in the national side. Soso has never found favour with this man. And once Nayeem even dropped him for obtensible reasons just few hours before the team's departure to kathmandu to participate in the SARRC Football Tournament. Gunabir was also called for the preparatory camps before the tournament but could not find a place in the final XVIII.

Beyond doubt the budding footballers of the region will be immensely benefited from watching the top football stars of the country. But at the same time, it is more important to see that deserving players of the region are not deprived from a berth in the national team.

How the achievements of a local hero help the youngsters can be gauged from a statement made by another promising midfielder of the country Sanatan Singh. The Salgaokar medio, who has been adjudged the best promising footballer in the country after winning four 'man of the match' awards in the recently concluded National Football League in an interview cadidly admitted that it was the success of Gunabir Singh which inspired the latter to take football seriously.

Whis is this ignorance of these regional players of the North-East so prominent? Only the national coach can answer.