Kochi, Feb 13: Baichung Bhutia of East Bengal is likely to be the prize catch for FC Kochin in the coming season. Along with Bhutia, Dipendu Biswas (Mohun Bagan) and Sheikh Sanjeeb (Tata Football Academy) have also agreed to join the club for the next season, according to FC Kochin sources. Bhutia is sponsored by Reebok, the multi-national sports goods manufacturers who are also FC Kochin's sponsors. Bhutia will be meeting FC Kochin officials on March 1 in New Delhi when the Kochi side plays JCT there.From TFA, Jamshedpur, apart from Sanjeeb, six others have agreed to join. They include Prabjot Singh, Mahesh Gawali, Rocky Barreto, Noel Wilson, Binu Jose, Nasreen Aktar (goalkeeper). Binu Jose was the vice-captain of the Indian schools team that played in the Asian championship last season.
Some more names from Goa, Chennai, Mumbai and Calcutta are believed to be after the club management.
Source indicated that FCK Seniors and Juniors might bring in five foreign players each for their sides nextseason.
The FC Kochin junior side will comprise 10 Kerala under-21 players and a few from Karnataka and north-east states, apart from eight Williamson Magnoar Sports Academy (Assam) products. Among them is Manas Thapa, son of former international Shyam Thapa.
They have already taken two from Orissa but were sent back as the club was not satisfied with them.
The sources said the FCK coaches -- George Blues and A M Sreedharan -- would be retained. ``Sreedharan is a tough task master. We would not like him to leave us. ''
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
