What grassroot level are they talking about, roars Carvalho

THE Mahindra Group's decision to disband their football team came in for sharp criticism from all quarters. There were no takers for the official reason for the drastic step - to refocus at the grassroot level.

"The Mahindra Group has decided to refocus its support to football by concentrating on building the sport at the grassroots and community level. As a result, Mahindra United Football Club will move out of competitive football at the end of the current I-League season," read the official press note.

Football is not the only discipline to meet this fate at Mahindra. Earlier, in mid-90s, the firm had disbanded their hockey, cricket and kabaddi teams. Former hockey Olympian Joquim Carvalho, who was among the ones who faced the axe when Mahindra scrapped their hockey team, was saddened by yesterday's news. "What grassroot level are they talking about?" asked Carvalho.

"We used to include young players in the Mahindra hockey team, groom them and it was from here that so many of them went on to play for India. Mark Patterson, Dhanraj Pillay, Jude Menezes, Gavin Ferreira, Darryl D'Souza, Edgar Mascarenhas, Edward Aranha, Marcellus Gomes-- all got selected for India after playing for Mahindra," said Carvalho.

"Mumbai hockey is still hurting from Mahindra's decision to shut down its hockey teams. The Mahindra Tractors team consisted only of school and college boys. It was like an academy and was a feeder for senior teams. Why stop a team when it is doing well and contributing to the country? We had so many Olympians and Arjuna Awardees.

"In football too, it was the same set-up with the professionals playing for the senior team and the promising youngsters playing for Mahindra Tractors. Most of the Mumbai players started their careers at Tractors," added Carvalho.

Football internationals like Arif Ansari, Yusuf Ansari, Tauseef Jamal are all Tractors products.
"The biggest advantage was the ground. At their Kandivali set-up, Mahindra had one of the best grounds in the city," he said.