The Hindu : Sport / Football : Bharathan to coach Kerala in Santosh Trophy

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Tuesday, Sep 12, 2006
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Bharathan to coach Kerala in Santosh Trophy

KOCHI: After nearly eight years, Kannur's K. Bharathan is back as the coach of the Kerala football team for the Santosh Trophy. The 63-year-old former Services player had been the State coach at the National senior championship on four occasions earlier.

Bharathan replaces M. Peethambaran who has been the Kerala coach for four editions.

The Kerala Football Association, which announced its new coach on Monday, also released its list of 40 probables for the State coaching camp which will be held at the Udyogamandal FACT Ground, near here, from September 19 to October 10.

The KFA is likely to request for the services of its `Footballer of the Year' N.P. Pradeep and Mohammed Rafi, under the All India Football Federation's `nativity rule' that allows States to recall its stars playing outside the State, for Santosh Trophy duty.

The two players left State Bank of Travancore and joined Mumbai's Mahindra United during the recent inter-club transfers.

Interest in Pradeep, Rafi

"We are interested in Pradeep and Rafi and they had played the State inter-district championship in Manjeri in January," said K.M.I. Mather, the KFA president. "We'll discuss with the coach and then decide, probably a week after the camp begins."

"But we are not interested in anybody else," clarified Mr Mather.

Kerala, which finished third in the last National Championship, has been given a direct berth in the Santosh Trophy's quarterfinal league which begins in Gurgaon, Haryana in mid-October.

The probables:

Goalkeepers: K.T. Navas (Mlp), Jean Christian (Alp), Jinesh Thomas (Ekm), Harshal Rahiman (Kzd), P.A. Renjith (Tvm), Parthan (Knr). Defenders: M. Abdul Basheer, Jaseer Karnath (both Mlp), K.S. Joby (Tsr), B. Deepu (Tvm), R. Dhanarajan (Pkd), Paul Antony (Tvm), N.V. Yahiya (Kzd), Martin P. Pereira (Tvm), P.A. Suneer (Ekm), Justine Stephen (Idk), Libu C. Philip (Pta), Ajith Fermin (Ktm).

Midfielders: P.K. Anil Kumar (Tvm), Abdul Naushad (Pkd), Lenal Thomas (Tsr), R. Rajesh (Tvm), V.M. Girish (Tsr), Martin John (Tvm), A.B. Kabeer (Pkd), Vijesh Kumar (Tvm), Denson Devadas (Ekm), T. Shabeerali (Mlp). Forwards: Abdul Hakeem (Pkd), Mohamed Aslam (Ksd), T. Usman (Kzd), T. Asif Saheer (Mlp), Jackson Sebastian (Tvm), R. Ranjith, R. Kannan (both Klm), M.A. Rajesh Kumar (Wyd), O.K. Javeed (Mlp), A. Bijish Ben (Ekm), D. Ebin Rose (Tvm), P.A. Javed (Ekm). Coach: K.Bharathan. — Principal Correspondent

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