Patel asks Colaco to end Bhutia-Mohun Bagan standoff

All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Praful Patel Wednesday asked general secretary Alberto Colaco to intervene and end the stand-off between national captain Bhaichung Bhutia and Mohun Bagan.

"We have to find an early solution to this problem. I have asked Colaco to look into the matter and sit down with both the parties to end the deadlock," Patel told reporters here Wednesday during an executive committee meeting of the AIFF.

Bhaichung was slapped a six-month suspension notice by Mohun Bagan for missing practice sessions and an exhibition match. The footballer then inked a one-year contract with East Bengal and has appealed to the AIFF's players' status committee.

Patel said that the issue shouldn't have been allowed to go out of control.

"Bhaichung is our national captain and such things shouldn't be allowed to got out in public," he added.

On the proposed AIFF-Bharti football academy, which has been a non-starter since its announcement last year, Patel said: "I have asked Bharti not to lose interest in the project. They are still interested in it and have told me that they want the academy to be shifted to Haryana from Goa. The Haryana government has verbally assured us the land, but nothing beyond that."

Asked about the women team's removal from the FIFA rankings for not playing international matches in the last 18 months, Patel said: "We are setting up an ad-hoc committee to prepare a roadmap for the women's team development. It is unfortunate what has happened."

Patel also added that the federation has to push hard to get players win national sports awards.

"It is really unfortunate that this time footballers were again ignored for the Arjuna Awards. But as a federation we have to push their case and we have to make the game popular," he said.

Last updated on Jul 22^nd, 2009 at 17:52 pm IST--IANS