Nagpur club signs three booters

Meghe United, a premier division football team of Indian state of Nagpur, yesterday signed up three Bangladeshi booters for a tournament to be held in Nagpur from October 15 to November 15.
The trio are -- striker Zahid Hasan Emily, midfielder Mamunul Islam and defender Ariful Islam of Muktijoddha Sangsad while Abahani winger Zahid Hossain was supposed to be signed up last night on his arrival from Feni after playing Abahani's Bangladesh Premier League match against Feni Soccer Club.
Meghe United coach Abdul Khalek and manager Boivob Roy were present on the signing ceremony which was held at a city hotel as a local agent, reportedly operated by a BFF paid official, made the contact with Meghe United, who initially kept their sights on nine players including Rajani Kanta Barman, Mohammad Sujan, Shakil Ahmed and Mithun Chowdhury and Ghanaian Awudu Ibrahim but finally chose four players.
“I watched the performance of Bangladeshi booters in the SAFF Championship and there are many talented players in the squad and chose four of them for my club,” said coach Abdul Malek, who once played for Mohanbagan of Kolkata.
A total of ten teams, split into two groups, will take part in the tournament and top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals. Each team will be eligible to register four foreign players but will only be able to field three players in a match.
It has been learnt that each of the players will get Tk 5 lakh.
“My performance has not been consistent this season. I am considering the Nagpur tournament as a pre-season preparation and want to return to form through this tournament,” said Zahid Hasan Emily, who has struck only five goals for Muktijoddha Sangsad in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League.
Of the four booters, Emily, Mamunul and Zahid are supposed to join Sheikh Russel KC in the upcoming season while Ariful is supposed to join Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club.