Close on the heels of a pull out by Mahindra United, last year, the Phagwara based Jagatjit Cotton and Textile Mills (JCT) which has had a historic association with Indian Football announced the shutting down of it's club.
While the Indian Football scenario has been agog with all positive news since last year, this closure is sure to act as a dampener on the fortunes of the I-League (Indian Football League). Rumor has it that even ONGC is mulling to pull out it's team.
Founded in 1971, the JCT team was the only answer to the ever rampaging football teams from Bengal. In fact, they won the inaugural National Football League in 1996. They have also won the Durand Cup (which incidentally is one the oldest football tournaments in the world), five times during the last 3 decades.
Their success and consistency could also be attributed to their owners, The Thapar Group, who are keen followers of the game.
The JCT team has had stalwarts like IM Vijayan, Baichung Bhutia, Carlton Chapman, Jo Paul Ancheri and Sunil Chhetri, representing them.
In May 2008, JCT announced their association with Wolverhampton Wanderers, an EPL team from England.
Of late, though, tournament victories have been hard to come by and the emergence of Goa as a football superpower has taken away talent from other teams. Willingness to spend and nurture the players have helped the Goan teams strike gold at the national level.
Dissapointing performance has led to JCT FC being relegated to the I-League 2nd division.
The owners have cited lack of interest in football in Punjab, due to which sponsors are backing out. Which is quite contrary to the fact that the sport is supported and followed by a huge diaspora of Punjabis, spread from Europe to the Americas.
Wonder if the owners ever explored this idea of monetising their investment!!
Hope still floats in the form of former India hockey captain, Pargat Singh, Punjab Sports Director, who has expressed his determination to ensure that the club still runs. Quite a few seniors from the sports fraternity have appealed to Samir Thapar, Chairman of the club, to reconsider his decision as JCT is perhaps the only club that caters and nurtures soccer talent in North India.
The presence of political will to support the game in Punjab is indeed very heartening.
While most I-League clubs are from East, West or South India, JCT is one of the very few teams representing the Northern part of the country.
A fresh road map and patience are key to their success. With funds, infrastructure and resources at their disposal it should not take the JCT owners much time to assemble a crack team with a visionary coach.
It would help a lot if their owners have the team tour countries like UK, Canada and some countries in Africa which has a huge Indian diaspora to get the sponsors to back them.
Let's just hope the powers that be reconsider this action and revive the club rather than shutting it down. Indian football needs JCT as much as they need a Mohun Bagan or a Churchill Brothers.
While the Indian Football scenario has been agog with all positive news since last year, this closure is sure to act as a dampener on the fortunes of the I-League (Indian Football League). Rumor has it that even ONGC is mulling to pull out it's team.
Founded in 1971, the JCT team was the only answer to the ever rampaging football teams from Bengal. In fact, they won the inaugural National Football League in 1996. They have also won the Durand Cup (which incidentally is one the oldest football tournaments in the world), five times during the last 3 decades.
Their success and consistency could also be attributed to their owners, The Thapar Group, who are keen followers of the game.
The JCT team has had stalwarts like IM Vijayan, Baichung Bhutia, Carlton Chapman, Jo Paul Ancheri and Sunil Chhetri, representing them.
In May 2008, JCT announced their association with Wolverhampton Wanderers, an EPL team from England.
Of late, though, tournament victories have been hard to come by and the emergence of Goa as a football superpower has taken away talent from other teams. Willingness to spend and nurture the players have helped the Goan teams strike gold at the national level.
Dissapointing performance has led to JCT FC being relegated to the I-League 2nd division.
The owners have cited lack of interest in football in Punjab, due to which sponsors are backing out. Which is quite contrary to the fact that the sport is supported and followed by a huge diaspora of Punjabis, spread from Europe to the Americas.
Wonder if the owners ever explored this idea of monetising their investment!!
The presence of political will to support the game in Punjab is indeed very heartening.
While most I-League clubs are from East, West or South India, JCT is one of the very few teams representing the Northern part of the country.
A fresh road map and patience are key to their success. With funds, infrastructure and resources at their disposal it should not take the JCT owners much time to assemble a crack team with a visionary coach.
It would help a lot if their owners have the team tour countries like UK, Canada and some countries in Africa which has a huge Indian diaspora to get the sponsors to back them.
Let's just hope the powers that be reconsider this action and revive the club rather than shutting it down. Indian football needs JCT as much as they need a Mohun Bagan or a Churchill Brothers.
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