November 21: Following FC Kochin's example, a group of football enthusiasts including Non Resident Indians and businessmen are working on setting a professional football club in Mumbai called the Bengal Bombay Football Club.

Club directors Shankar Maitra, KP Sen, P Kundu, Jagannath Halder and Nazam Hussain provided the information in a press release today.

They informed that inception of the club is planned sometime in December and is expected to be converted into a limited company soon later.

An application for registration has already been sent to the Western India Football Association (WIFA) and permission is being sought to play in the local league.

The club plans to recruit players and a coach of national and international repute to prepare a strong squad to participate in top tournaments like the ongoing Rovers Cup, the DCM Trophy, Durand Cup and the IFA Shield and possibly overseas.

Asian sub-jr chess c'ship

Bengal lad Suryasekhar Ganguly will spearhead the Indian challenge in the Sahara Asian Sub-junior (under-16) Chess Championship to be staged at the from November 23.

The former world No 2 in the under-12 category, Ganguly alongwith national under-16 champion Mahesh Chandra (Tamil Nadu), C A Kavitha (Andhra Pradesh), Aarthie Ramaswamy (Tamil Nadu) and Shraddha Samani (Maharashtra) form the Indian contingent in the 12-day event featuring 39 countries.

Two top sub-juniors (one each in boys' and girls' section) will compete in the championship to be played on Swiss League 11-round format with the winner in each group pocketing Rs 15,000 each and the runners-up taking home Rs 11,000 each.

The winners would also be conferred the Fide Master title and an International Master norm.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.