| "This is a team of the future": Liaquat Ali |
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| Wednesday, 22 April 2009 | |
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After Viva Kerala's glorious campaign in the 2nd Division I-League which saw them securing the promotion for next season's top division, we had a chance to talk with Viva's managing director V.M. Liaquat Ali.
vivakerala.net: How do you feel after the I-League 2 final, following our win against ONGC?
Liaquat Ali: It was thrilling and exciting! After the lost matches against Salgaocar and Pune FC, we were in a difficult situation. Adding to that, our goalie Shahin Lal had to siit out. But then, everybody woke up and we got the results for our hard work. Especially the coach and coaching stuff did a great job!
vk.net: What do you think about the young team?
LA: The team is very young and inexperienced and still, they managed to qualify. That's the greatest achievement.This team is a team of the future. As other teams are getting older, we recruited young and perspective players. That's why I am sure that we will do very fine.
vk.net: Do you want to retain these players?
LA: Yes, we would like to retain most of these players plus we would like to sign a few more youngsters and add some players in key positions. We have also been very unlucky concerning the recruitment of foreign players. But this time around, Babu Mather will help us regarding this issue. We are definitely looking to add one top-quality striker to the team.
vk.net: That's nice to hear. After the I-League 2, a lot of our players caught the eye of other teams. Salgaocar's coach Stanley Rozario is very interested to sign M.P. Sakeer, for example. What is your response?
LA: I've already spoken to the players and they are loyal to the club. They will stay with the club until we win the title. We all here have built a personal relationship with the players. And these players too, are committed and love to play for a club from Kerala.
vk.net: But to realize all this, we need a sound financial backing! Until now, we don't have a major sponsor. It will be difficult to survive in the I-League without money. What are your plans in this case?
LA: The sponsorships talks are on and I hope that we can finalize a deal in one month's time. We are also going to have a professional marketing set up which should help us to attract more people.
vk.net: A lot of fans are wondering where Viva's home matches are going to be played. Will it be Cochin or Calicut?
LA: Personally, I would like to have the matches staged in Cochin as this is our official base. The big problem is that maintenance work is going on at the International Stadium and hence the ground might not be well prepared. We still have to take a decision.
vk.net: Mr. Liaquat Ali, thanks for answering our questions.
LA: I would like to say a big "THANK YOU" to all our fans in Kerala and all around the globe! Your support is very much appreciated and we will need it in the coming years!
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