New Delhi: With the aim of avoiding relegation, bottom-placed I-League club Rangdajied United FC have signed five players, including Gouramangi Singh and Subrata Paul, on loan from IMG-Reliance, organisers of the IPL-style Indian Super League football tournament, it was learnt on Monday.
Sandesh Jhingan, Tomba Singh and Manandeep Singh are the other three players.
Rangdajied are currently at the bottom of the 13-team standings, having failed to win a single match from eight outings, four of which have been held at home.
They have drawn three, while losing five in the season so far.
It was learnt from reliable sources that some more prominent I-League clubs are also in touch with IMG-R in order to take players on loan.
Following the move, Shillong-based Rangdajied became the second club to break away from the I-League Professional Football Clubs’ Association (IPFCA). Mohammedan Sporting is the other club.
RUFC, who along with Mohammedan make up the two teams who qualified for the I-League from the 2nd Division this year, have struggled with injuries to key players.
Captain Eugeneson Lyngdoh and Restomwell Khriam have missed the last few matches because of injury, while others like foreign signing Edmar Figueira is still approaching full fitness.
The North East team did not sign any big names before the start of their maiden season, which has been a trial by fire for the Blues.
“It is a very good move as all these players are very good and they are the ones who can help the club save from relegation. These players can change the club’s position,” a source told PTI.
“They will be registering the players either today or tomorrow and three of them would start practising with the team soon.
“Gouramangi and Paul will come back after their trials in Denmark on Thursday or Friday.”
The duo left for Denmark last month for a three-week trial at top tier outfit FC Vestsjaelland.
The organisers of the Indian Super League, who had last month decided to defer the proposed tournament to September-November next year instead of early 2014, had already roped in international stars like Louis Saha, Dwight Yorke, Fredrik Ljungberg, Hernan Crespo and Robert Pires as marquee players.
Meanwhile, another IMG-R and India player, Nirmal Chhetri, will be leaving for Germany to undertake trials at a second division Bundesliga club.
Fortuna Dusseldorf have offered a week-long trial to Chettri. (PTI)