Date:05/02/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/02/05/stories/2008020554271800.htm

Sport - Football

Suspensions revoked

KOZHIKODE: The Kerala Football Association (KFA) has revoked the suspension of three Kerala State Electricity Board players — Jaseer Karanath, K. Anees and Noushad Pari — with immediate effect. They were banned by the KFA from playing in any official tournament when they were found guilty of having played in unauthorised ‘sevens’ tournaments while KSEB was competing in the State football league here last year.

The decision was taken by the KFA’s disciplinary committee, which met in Kochi on January 29. “We had received written apologies from the players concerned and their team, KSEB, had also no objection to lifting the ban,” KFA secretary K.P. Sunny told The Hindu on Monday. “We decided to withdraw the suspension because we didn’t want to harm the players; otherwise, even their jobs would have been in trouble.”

He added that the KFA’s objective was only to punish for their misconduct and send a warning signal to other players in the State. “What these players did — leaving their team in the midst of an important event to play in unauthorised ‘sevens’ tournaments — was wrong and we had to take action against them,” he said. “But there is no point in prolonging the suspension.”

The players, however, are not on the KSEB team in the on-going State inter-club football championship at Thiruvalla. They could be reinstated in the team only after they are cleared after a hearing by the KSEB. The players were suspended for six months by the KSEB.