Prayag United sign Costa Rican Carlos Hernandez

Kolkata I-League side Prayag United SC yesterday signed and unveiled the 30 year old Costa Rican World Cupper Carlos Hernández Valverde as their latest signing. The midfielder comes to India on a one year contract and joins Prayag United from Australian A-League side Melbourne Victory.

Hernandez was given the no. 16 jersey and said, "I am really happy to be associated with Prayag United Sports Club. I am looking forward to this new opportunity and challenges."

Hernandez is one of the most high profile signings by Prayag United SC ever, who had earlier sealed deals with India no.1 goalkeeper Subrata Pal, India centre-back Gouramangi Singh and last season highest I-League goalscorer Ranty Martins Soleye.

Hernandez has 30 international matches to his name for Costa Rica having played for the country's under-20 and under-23 teams. He had played his last international against France in which he scored a cracker of a goal.

Hernandez played for LD Alajuelense in the Costa Rican league before shifting to Melbourne in 2007, first on loan and then permanently and he has been one of the A-League stars during his time in Australia having scored 36 goals in 121 matches.

By signing Carlos Hernandez, Prayag United SC show even more their ambitions to challenge for the I-League title this season after the signings made earlier.

Indian Club Football: Why only investors from Bengal?

The above is a question which needs to be asked. Over the Indian football summer break a number of clubs and entities have been on the lookout for new partners and sponsors, but only companies from Kolkata have come forward to spend Rs 50 to 80 Million (5 to 8 crores) per year.

Surely one has to criticize Chirag Computers style of their Viva Kerala takeover to name them Chirag United Club Kerala or in short CUCK, which is even worse. But on the other side why has Kerala's lone entrant in the top tier of the I-League not been able to find a local Kerala sponsor/backer or a Non-Resident Keralite with money? Then the fact is without Chirag Computers owner Kaustav Roy being on the lookout for an I-League club after his split with United SC the future of Viva Kerala looked seriously bleak.

Take Kolkata-based United SC. The I-League side split from Chirag Computers due to differences in ownership but after a few weeks found a new long-term partner in the Prayag Group of Industries, who have agreed to sponsor them for six years. This gives he United SC management planning security.

The third example of this summer are the Indian Arrows, the AIFF's developmental team. The team was based in Delhi last season and played in Gurgaon, but due to the high costs involved the AIFF where on the lookout for a sponsor and partner for the Arrows who could adopt the team. They hoped to either keep the team in Delhi or shift to Bangalore or Pune with a national or local sponsor. It didn't happen, then in the end the Pailan Group from Kolkata became the partners and the Arrows have now shifted to their world school campus in Joka.

There are other companies from Kolkata to have come forward to fund Calcutta Premier Division sides with budgets which would surely make some of the I-League sides envious.

But why aren't there any investments into Indian club football elsewhere? Especially from Mumbai and to some extend Bangalore I have been hearing for years now that there are investors waiting in the wings to launch new clubs, but nothing has ever happened.

The biggest disappointment remains for me Kerala. There is a state with huge interest in football, people follow the sport there like in Bengal, Goa and the Northeast; but there seems to be no local business which can support and sustain a local football team at the top level? That can't be.

Hopefully companies and individuals with the necessary deep pockets in other parts of India come forward to fund clubs or even found clubs to compete with the best in the country, otherwise soon it will be a Kolkata and Goa league with some Indian flavour in it...

Chirag United turns into Prayag United

Kolkata's United Sports Club have found a new sponsor in city-based Prayag Group of Industries. The I-League side and PGI signed a six year sponsorship contract which will be worth Rs. 50 Million (5 crores) for the first season. The club will from now on be known as Prayag United Sports Club.

For over four seasons Chirag Computers had been sponsors of United SC with the club better known as Chirag United SC, but over the summer club officials and Chirag Computers owner Kaustav Roy had a fall out which led to the club officials looking for a new sponsors, while Chirag have signed a sponsorship and ownership deal with Viva Kerala.

United SC had finished last season in eighth place of the I-League and with the help of their new owners the club want to be amongst the contenders for the I-League and Federation Cup titles after last season winning their first-ever Durand Cup crown.

United SC secretary Alokesh Kundu and chairman of PGI Basudeb Bagchi signed the MOU in presence of AIFF Vice-President Subrata Dutta, AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das and IFA Secretary Utpal Ganguli.

Former India Under-16 assistant coach Sanjoy Sen has been appointed as the new coach of Prayag United SC. The complete squad for the new season was not announced today, but some infos given on the composition of the team.

Attending the announcement function was seasoned Ghanian Yakubu Yusif, who has been signed from champions Salgaocar SC. The other foreigners are Nigerian defender Bello Razaq (Viva Kerala) and Brazilian Josimar da Silva Martins who has been retained. The club has further retained junior international Arnab Mondal plus influential midfielder Denson Devadas and Lal Kamal Bhowmick. Young talented goalkeeper Jagroop Singh (Indian Arrows) has been signed while seasoned midfielder Jayanta Sen returns from Mohun Bagan AC.

The club is said to be in talks with international defender Deepak Kumar Mondal (Mohun Bagan AC) and Kiwi Kayne Vincent (Churchill Brothers), while also looking to strengthen the team before the end of the transfer period.

The new sponsors also said that they would like to set-up three Academies along with the club, one each in North Bengal, the Jungle Mahal area and in Assam.