Baichung, take notes. This is what you do after you retire instead of wasting your money on some shitty "pro" team or as @Joyptan called them (I think) "East Bengal B".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balestier_Khalsa_FC This club in Singapore is promoted by Sikh Community of Singapore. Someone should set an example and open a Football Club in Punjab. after JCT closed down, we have nothing in Punjab.
I rather someone with money create a club in Punjab (like Bengaluru FC or Pune). Someone needs to come in who is willing to put out money on making the team, marketing them, bringing in players, perhaps renovating and cleaning the stadium etc.
Football in Punjab can work, when I went last year I saw plenty of bars with matches from Europe and the like so there are fans but we need someone who can turn those fans to the Indian game.
Perhaps the owner could do a J. League thing and run the club through the community?
JCT was good in promoting local talent-something which clubs like Pune FC and Bangalore FC is not doing that much. Look at last squad of JCT here:- lot of these players were local Punjab boys and still active in various clubs. Once that source JCT is gone, new crop of players stop coming from that part. http://www.jctfootball.com/team/team.aspx
To be fair to Pune and Bengaluru FC they just started their academies. JCT had years and years of developing "I-League level" talent. Look at the Pune FC U19 profiles. There are 9 guys from Maharastra in that team. That is not bad. And Bengaluru FC only started their academy this year... give it awhile.
Comments
This club in Singapore is promoted by Sikh Community of Singapore. Someone should set an example and open a Football Club in Punjab. after JCT closed down, we have nothing in Punjab.
http://www.balestierkhalsafc.com/about-balestier-khalsa/management-team-and-coaching-staff
http://www.balestierkhalsafc.com/about-balestier-khalsa/history-and-tradition-of-balestier-khalsa-fc
More Tamil players have played for this club.
http://www.jctfootball.com/team/team.aspx
The end.