North Zone to defend FCI Inter Zonal Football Championship

Panaji, Oct 25 (UNI) North Zone will be defending to retain its championship in the 36th All India FCI Inter Zonal Football Tournament beginning on Goa's Duler Grounds at Mapusa tomorrow.

In all, six teams will participate in 9 matches to be held on league-cum-knokout basis. North-East team was the runner up in the last year's match.

Disclosing this to media persons on the eve of the match, Dr C L Ram, Food Corporation of India's general manager (Maharashtra&Goa) and president, regional Sports Prootion Comittee, Mumbai said the corporation's executive director-cum vice-president of the FCI Sports Promotion Board will inaugurate the tournament.

The Winning team gets Rs 16,000 cash award and the runners up half the sum. The FCI spends Rs one crore annually for encouraging the sports in the country.

Interestingly, the FCI offers Rs 1,500 monthly stipend to each of the talented student sportsmen between the age group of 15 and 18 years, Rs 2,000 to those between 18 and 21 years and Rs 3,000 for those between 21 and 24 years.

Goa's footballer Mario Cruz Fernandes was one of the stipend receivers. Another five Goan footballers will represent the West Zone in the tournament beginning tomorrow.

Some of the eminent sportspersons reprersenting the FCI who received stipend and won laurels for the country included Karanam Malleswari (weight lifting), Shiny Wilson(athlete), Toiba Singh(Hockey), Sandeep Gosai(power lifter), Devang Gandhi(Cricket), Chhya Bhat(power lifter) besides Saurav Ganguly.

More than 16 stipend holders shall also participate in the tournament from differnt parts of the country.

UNI BM MJ AY KP2001