Keventer Cup Allstar: 20 School Boys selected

The Keventer Cup, an inter-school football tournament in Kolkata, had been revived by the Debanjan Sen Foundation a few weeks ago which was won by La Martiniere For Boys with a 1-0 against St James' School at the La Martiniere ground.

Now a Keventer Cup Allstar team of 20 boys was announced from the inter-school football tournament. The boys were selected by scouts from the tournament and they will receive specialised training from coach Anit Ghosh and experts Jamshed Nassiri, Shyam Thapa and Alvito D'Cunha.

The school boys team will then play friendly matches at the CCFC and other venues across Kolkata.


Keventer Cup Allstar

Kewal Routh (Assembly of God Church School), Vardan Adiyan (Assembly of God Church School), Joshit Dutta (St James' School), Akash Mondal (St James' School), Mobasher Alam (St James' School), Abhishek Mitra (St James' School), Amir Khan (St James' School), Rohit Chetri (St Lawrence School), Anthony Hazra (St Lawrence School), Sheikh Saddam (St Lawrence School), Mahesh Kewat (St Lawrence School), Akash Dave (La Martiniere For Boys), Mohammed Adnan (La Martiniere For Boys), Nathan Alexander (La Martiniere For Boys), Asad Ahmed (The Heritage School), Shayon Moitra (The Heritage School), Akash Ghosh (The Heritage School), Rishiket Singh (Julien Day, Kalyani), Imtiaz Ali (St Dominics School), Sharukh Rahman (St Dominics School), Rahul Xalko (Don Bosco, Liluah), Bikash Paswan (Future Hope)

Debanjan Sen Memorial Cup 2012

A Calcutta Cricket & Football Club (CCFC) XI held the Football Players Association of India (FPAI) XI to a one-all draw in the Debanjan Sen Memorial Cup 2012 held at the CC&FC ground yesterday evening.

For the FPAI XI seasoned striker Dipendu Biswas opened the scoring in the 20th minute with Jahan Mehta (who is FPAI General Secretary but plays for CC&FC) equalizing just a minute later.

Former Indian football captain Baichung Bhutia played for CC&FC while the FPAI XI was represented by Indian national team players Gouramangi Singh, Syed Rahim Nabi, Mehtab Hossain, Subrata Pal, Arindam Bhattacharya and ex-internationals Dipendu Biswas and Basudeb Mondal plus many others.

The FPAI were also fortunate enough to have two World Cuppers in Steven Bryce and Carlos Hernandez from Costa Rica to play for them as both of them were in Kolkata and are big supporters of FIFPro and the Costa Rica Football Players Association.

Carlos Hernandez to play Debanjan Sen Memorial Cup match!

Costa Rica international midfielder Carlos Hernández Valverde is set to be in Kolkata this week for talks with I-League side Prayag United SC to possibly sign and play for them. While in Kolkata Hernández is set to play for the Football Players Association of India (FPAI) XI in a charity match, the Debanjan Sen Memorial Cup, against a football team of the Calcutta Cricket & Football Club (CCFC) at the latters home in Ballygunge, Kolkata on Thursday, June 28 evening.

Besides Hernández, former Costa Rica international Steven Bryce Valerio will also be in Kolkata with him and will also play for the FPAI XI in the match.

The FPAI will once more organise the memorial match in the name of their former employee the late Debanjan Sen, who died in an motorbike accident last year. Debanjan, who was very much liked in football circles, was only 22 years old.

The FPAI XI will also see some of India's best football talent especially those who were close to Debanjan Sen and they include Mehtab Hossain (FPAI Player of the Year 2011), Syed Rahim Nabi (FPAI Player of the Year 2012), Gouramangi Moirangthem Singh, Deepak Kumar Mondal, Subrata Pal, Subhashish Roy Chowdhury, Anit Kumar Ghosh, Arindam Bhattacharya (who will play as a centre forward), Dipendu Biswas and many more.

FPAI president Baichung Bhutia is highly sought after by both teamsand it looks likely that he will be strengthening the CC&FC defence rather than playing for his own FPAI team.

Last year the match was held and had ended in a 0-0 draw. The match will kick-off at 7 pm on Thursday, June 28.

Keventer Cup: A Foundation revives school football tournament in Kolkata!

The Keventer Cup, an inter-school football tournament in Kolkata, is being revived by the Debanjan Sen Foundation. This was announced at a press conference at the Calcutta Sports Journalists Club yesterday afternoon with international footballers like Gouramangi Singh present.

The Keventer Cup will be played amongst the top 24 English medium schools in Kolkata. The tournament will be held across four different venues - La Martiniere, St James, St Lawrence and The Heritage School - simultaneously.

The tournament will kick-off on July 2 and the final is slated for July 21 with both these matches planed to be held at the La Martiniere for Boys School with Baichung Bhutia likely to inaugurate the tournament.

The Debanjan Sen Foundation was formed in memory of Late Debanjan Sen with the primary focus in developing sports, primarily football, in the school level and among the underprivileged. The Foundation takes its first step towards promoting School Football by organizing an Inter School Football Tournament in the Keventer Cup with the help and support of the Football Players Association of India.

FPAI's Debanjan Sen Memorial Trophy 2012 next Thursday

A mixed Football Players Association of India (FPAI) XI faces a team from the Calcutta Cricket & Football Club (CCFC) at the latters home in Ballygunge, Kolkata for the Debanjan Sen Memorial Cup next Thursday, June 28 evening. The FPAI will once more organise the memorial match in the name of their former employee the late Debanjan Sen, who died in an motorbike accident last year. Debanjan, who was very much liked in football circles, was only 22 years old.

The FPAI XI will be featuring some of India's footballing heavyweights especially those who were close to Debanjan Sen and they include Mehtab Hossain (FPAI Player of the Year 2011), Syed Rahim Nabi (FPAI Player of the Year 2012), Gouramangi Moirangthem Singh, Deepak Kumar Mondal, Subrata Pal, Subhashish Roy Chowdhury, Anit Kumar Ghosh, Arindam Bhattacharya (who will play as a centre forward), Dipendu Biswas and many more.

FPAI president Baichung Bhutia is highly sought after by both teams for the match and it looks like he will be strengthening the CC&FC defence rather than playing for his own FPAI team.

Last year the match was held and had ended in a 0-0 draw. The match will kick-off at 7 pm on Thursday, June 28.

Charity Match: Howrah Mayors XI beat Debanjan Sen Foundation

The Howrah Mayors XI overcame a strong Debanjan Sen Foundation team 2-0 at the Howrah Municipal Stadium yesterday afternoon. Numerous academy children and kids came to witness the match and the Academy team of the Debanjan Sen Foundation played just before the high profile friendly match.

Bhaichung Bhutia played a short while in the first half as a centre back with former New Zealand captain Tim Brown also in action along with Mehtab Hossain, Syed Rahim Nabi, Renedy Singh and Lalkamal Bhowmick who all played in a star-studded midfield of the Debanjan Sen Foundation team, which was captained by Anit Kumar Ghosh. Seasoned Abhijit Mondal was the keeper for the first half while India keeper Arindam Bhattacharya took his place in the second half. Ex-internationals Dipendu Biswas and Dipankar Roy also turned out for the Debanjan Sen Foundation team.

The winning goals for Howrah Mayors XI, who played with some I-League and Kolkata Maidan players, came in the second half.

The match was witnessed by numerous ex-players and youngsters who came out in support of the foundation and this is the first of many matches and tournaments the Debanjan Sen Foundation will organise.

The proceeds from this match will go to the Howrah Veterans Club and the Debanjan Sen Foundation.

Allstar Charity Match in Howrah tomorrow

Tomorrow at 16.00 IST (4:00 pm) there will be an Allstar Exhibition Match between the Howrah Mayors XI and the Debanjan Sen Foundation XI at the Howrah Municipal Stadium in West Bengal.

The Debanjan Sen Foundation XI team will be represented by current footballers Baichung Bhutia (FPAI president), Renedy Singh, Deepak Kumar Mondal, Syed Rahim Nabi, Mehtab Hossain, Arindam Bhattacharya, Abhijit Mondal, Dipankar Roy, Dipendu Biswas and a host of other footballers. A star attraction will be Kiwi international Tim Brown, who captained New Zealand at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. Also playing will be the FPAI's own Jahan Mehta.

The Howrah Mayors XI will be made-up of a selection of premier players from Howrah district.

I'd request you all for whom it is possible to go and attend the match in large numbers to support the cause of the Howrah Veterans Club and the Debanjan Sen Foundation.

The Football Players Association of India is glad to be part of this match and lend its support to the Foundation. The late Debanjan Sen used to work for the FPAI as their Executive - Player relations, Media & Marketing.

FPAI's Debanjan Sen Memorial Trophy

A Football Players Association of India XI faced a team of the Calcutta Cricket & Football Club (CCFC 'A') at the latters home in Ballygunge, Kolkata for the Debanjan Sen Memorial Cup on Sunday afternoon. The FPAI organised the memorial match in the name of their former employee the late Debanjan Sen, who died in an motorbike accident a few weeks ago. Debanjan was only 22 years old.

Debanjan Sen worked for the FPAI as their Executive - Player relations, Media & Marketing. He was besides Anuj Kichlu the man behind the FPAI and contact for the Indian footballers across the country. All those who knew Debanjan will remember him as someone hardworking, always friendly and helpful, always good for a laugh. I can say that after we worked together on the 2010 FPAI Awards in New Delhi last September.

The game was one of the most awaited matches in the CCFC football calendar then the CCFC had to take on some of India's biggest football stars in the FPAI XI. Players like Gouramangi Singh, Nirmal Chetri, Sanju Pradhan, Robin Singh, Syed Rahim Nabi, Mehtab Hussain and others took the field. Both teams were introduced to Debanjan's parents and the CCFC president Ravi Kidwai.

The match was for a good cause, but it became clear from the onset that both CCFC and FPAI XI wanted to win on a sunny Kolkata afternoon. The match was entertaining to watch from start to end. The FPAI XI put the CCFC side under a lot of pressure, but CCFC were able to hold their ground as the match ended goalless after 70 minutes. Both teams gave in all they had in memory of a great friend Debanjan.

Both teams played the match with zeal and passion and above all both teams made Debanjan proud as he was shining his light on the both sides. After the game the cup that each team was fighting for was given to Debanjan's younger brother Debdatta Sen and FPAI president Baichung Bhutia.

May Debanjan's soul rest in peace.