Mohammedan Sporting reverses decision of closure

Club asks players to report for practice, says will defend Durand Cup

Mohammedan Sporting has reversed its decision of withdrawing from football activities under tremendous pressure from all quarters. The club has asked its players to report for practice.

"We'll play in all tournaments and will go to Goa to defend our title in the Durand Cup. We'll also take part in the second division I-League, the Kalinga Cup and the IFA Shield," said Sultan Ahmed, president of the club and an MP of Trinamool Congress after a working committee meeting.

Ahmed also termed reports of "disbanding the club" as "baseless" and said they were not in good taste.

It was a just a week after he announced temporary closure of its activities due to severe financial crisis and lack of sponsors. He had also said that since Mohameddan would not be promoted to the first division of I-league despite being eligible there was no point of competing.

All India Football Federation (AIFF) had disqualified Sporting from competing in the top tier of the I-league due to technical shortage. The club does not have the age-group teams which is mandatory for clubs to play in the first division of I-league.

One week between the announcement of withdrawing from football activities and a U-turn over it, there were reports of fissure between Sultan Ahmed and Javed Khan, a political heavyweight and Minister of disaster management in the state government.

Khan had asked to handover the management of the club to him if the current office bearers were being unable to function properly. Ahmed though denied that the decision to resume activities of the club was taken under Khan's pressure. " Javed Khan was not present in today's meeting, he could have come if he wanted to help, we got assurance of fund from some people due to which we are sending the club," he said.

He added that unlike East Bengal and Mohun Bagan they could not take the sponsorship of the UB group as it was against the club rules. " We cannot don the names of an alcohol company on our jersey, " he said.

Decisions to change the management of the club was also taken during the working committee meeting. Current secretary of Mohammedan Cricket Club, Moinuddin Bin Maksud was given additional charge of football activities

Meanwhile thousands of Mohammedan fans descended on the club tent on Saturday to show their displeasure over the functioning of the current management.