A four-member committee of the All-India Football Federation (AIFF) comprising Kedarnath Mour (AIFF secretary), Ashok Ghosh, Ranjit Gupta and Albert Colaco, at its meeting in Calcutta on Sunday, decided not to grant them inter-state transfers.

BMFC, the reigning Western India Football Association (WIFA) Super Division champions, apparently applied for the transfers on April 24 -- nine days after the last date for submitting the forms. BMFC were playing the Second Division National Football League (NFL) and presumed they could submit their application till April 30.

When BMFC Managing Director Krishnendu Sen contacted Mour in Calcutta, the latter said: ``The committee has rejected BMFC request and we cannot change our (AIFF)constitution for BMFC.''

But the committee has allowed the transfers of Dempo players Itocha Singh (to Mohun Bagan) and Sanaton Singh (to East Bengal) . However, the application for the two players was made well within the stipulated time.

Two of the 17 players caught in the predicament include goalkeeper Kalyan Choubey and defender Suman Ghoshal, who were part of pre-Olympics team that lost against Thailand. Others are from prominent teams like JCT (Punjab), Dempo and Salgaocar (Goa) and Calcutta.

After AIFF decided to conduct the Second Division NFL late, in April, it was assumed by most teams that the last date will be extended by another 15 days.

Sen, who is rushing to Calcutta to meet AIFF president Priyaranjan Das Munshi, said: ``It's very sad for Indian football. I don't know how to face my boys and break the news... We will recruit some local or district boys. And I have asked coach Jamshed Nassiri to get four Iranian players as early as possible.''

In fact, Nassiri too was at the receivingend. he wanted to play for BMFC seeking a transfer from his former club Assam Dynamo. For the moment, all hopes rest on the meeting between Sen and Munshi. Till then all the 17 BMFC players will be keeping their fingers crossed.

The 17 Players

Jagjeet Singh (JCT), Farooq Mohmmad, Harnek Singh (Punjab Police), BS Negi (BSF), Kalyan Choubey (East Bengal), Ajoy Singh, Irfan (Tollygunge), Rawat (Salgaocar), Peter Siddique, Navin Kumar (ITI), Naresh Kanojia (FC Kochin), Ishwar Roy Mahato (SAIL), Giftroy Singh (Wilson), Sukumar Mullick, Sanju Bhowmick (Assam Police), Suman Ghosal (Hindustan), Jamshed Nassiri (Assam Dynamo)