Sukhwinder named national coach

Sukhwinder Singh has been appointed India's soccer coach for the Doha Asian Games to be held next year.

Disclosing this, All India Football Federation President Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi told newspersons here today that Sukhwinder would have to work along with a new selection committee in choosing the team.

"This has been decided to make the team selection a collective decision," Dasmunshi said.

Chief national soccer coach Stephen Constantine has drawn flak for his alleged dictatorial attitude in team selection for various events.

Asserting that Constantine's contract, which expires in June, would not be renewed, Dasmunshi said AIFF did not want to give him the boot before the end of his term as then it would have had to pay a huge compensation.

The AIFF chief, however, said efforts were on to get a new foreign coach and he would be put in charge of other age-group Indian sides.

He said arrangements would be made to give international exposure to the side before the Asian Games.

Dasmunshi said the AIFF would hold an exhibition match at the Salt Lake stadium here on June 4 to contribute money for the FIFA/AFC Tsunami fund for construction of a football training centre at the Lapaty Village of Car Nicobar.

The two teams would be christened Bhaichung Bhutia XI and I M Vijayan XI, and a move was afoot to get some just retired international stars to make guest appearances.