By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Royal Wahingdoh FC team management has blamed the unfavourable fixtures in the final round of the Second Division I-League for the team’s failure.
The RWFC team owner, Dominic Sutnga, also apologized for disappointing the thousands of fans who have backed the team throughout the season.
With not the best of starts to the tournament, Wahingdoh pulled things back with four consecutive victories, two in the Siliguri phase and a couple in the Gangtok phase, to top the points table. However, Wahingdoh lost the remaining matches on the trot to exit meekly from the contest.
In the second phase in Gangtok, the Royals played their last five matches in 13 days whereas I-League qualifiers United Sikkim took 16 days for the same.
“The disparity in the fixtures has taken a toll on the fitness of the players in the concluding stages (of the tournament),” Sutnga said while addressing a press conference on the team’s performance in the recently concluded Second Division I-League here on Friday.
While expressing his disappointment on the manner the fixture was formulated, he said that Wahingdoh were forced to play their matches every two days.
“Teams like United Sikkim, who were also the hosts, were given a week’s break during the concluding stages of the final round,” RWFC team owner said, adding, “I personally feel that there should be certain parameters which need to be followed to formulate fixtures.”
The matter has been taken up with the AIFF to ensure conformity in the formulation of the fixtures in future. Sutnga, however, made it clear that he did not believe in any conspiracy in the manner the fixtures were prepared to suit the interests of United Sikkim.
“I can only promise that we would build a stronger team for the next season,” Sutnga said.
Meanwhile, RWFC general manager Anoop Abraham maintained that the team management’s decision to field four foreign players during the match against ONGC was not intentional.
“We have committed a genuine mistake by overseeing the circular of the AIFF sent to the team last year on how to utilize the three foreign and one Asian player,” Abraham said.
He however said that the AIFF was also at fault since it did not make any mention about the utilization of the foreign players as per rules and regulations for the 2nd Division I-League. “The parent body (AIFF) had taken a final call to penalize the team after taking into consideration the various factors relating to the incident. Hence, there is no resentment against the AIFF,” Abraham added.