Durand Cup: AIFF likely to play referee

NEW DELHI: The issue of Mohun Bagan''s participation in the 115th Durand Cup took a new twist with the AIFF secretary Alberto Colaco declaring that the AIFF may ask the IFA to pave way for the club''s participation in the championship.
"I will meet Dasmunshi (Priyaranjan, the AIFF chief) on Sunday," Colaco told TNN. "This is unfortunate we will like to intervene as per our jurisdiction. Right now it''s too premature to say anything with any finality."
Ranjit Gupta, the IFA president, however, sounded as uncompromising as ever. "No request will melt the ice. I reiterate, let Mohun Bagan confirm their participation in the IFA Shield, we will send their release certificate to the Durand organisers immediately," he stated.
Anjan Mitra, the Bagan secretary, blamed the IFA for the stand-off. "IFA''s attitude is not helping the game at all. It will deprive the soccer lovers from watching the Barreto-Ekkeh duo in action. The AIFF should drill sense into IFA''s mind."
Incidentally, IFA governing body meeting is scheduled for the morrow and Gupta warned: "We will announce the fixtures without Bagan."
The Durand organisers, in the meantime, appeared to be at their wit''s end even as the preliminaries were being played out. The Friday evening deadline for announcing the fixtures was extended and "we will announce our final decision by Saturday evening," said organising secretary Bhupender Singh.
Meanwhile, a football match involving Kapil Dev, Ajay Jadeja, Zafar Iqbal and others is being planned by the marketing agents of the Durand Cup. On the field, Assam Regimental Centre and Indian Navy moved into the next round.