Pailan Group officially adopt Indian Arrows

Yesterday the official signing was done under which the Indian Arrows, the junior development national side of the All India Football Federation, will now become part of the Pailan World Group for the next five years and will be known as the Pailan Indian Arrows. The official signing took place at Pailan World Group Complex on Sunday afternoon.

The official agreement was signed by the AIFF president Praful Patel and Pailan Group chairman Apurba Saha at the Pailan Headquarters in Kolkata.

"We look forward to the deal taking Indian football to greater heights," Mr. Patel said. "This is the developmental team of AIFF. We have a long way to go to regain lost glory," Mr. Patel added.

As per the deal the Indian Arrows will shift base from the National Capital Region to Kolkata and will be training in the residential complex of Pailan World School in Joka.

"I've been impressed with the residential wing, the kitchen, the swimming pool and the gymnasium and the training grounds," Praful Patel added.

In the evening the Indian Arrows at their new home played a 50 minute friendly game against the Santosh Trophy winning squad of West Bengal, who beat the now rechristened Pailan Indian Arrows 1-0 through a goal from Francis Xavier.

Talking about the issue of release player for the Arrows from their parent clubs for another year Praful Patel did stress that he would be speaking to the clubs about the same. "The developmental attitude of the clubs will go a long way in helping the sport. Everyone has to put their best foot forward for the betterment of Indian football. I'd request the clubs to release the players for one more year."

But the concerned clubs in East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, Pune FC and Churchill Brothers aren't happy that such an approach to them was made by the AIFF president through the media rather then speaking to them first.