Dempo coach opts out of I-League title race

NEW DELHI: For someone who has won domestic football's premier championships for two successive seasons, it should be normal to chase a hat-trick, but Dempo coach Armando Colaco has opted out of the I-League title race lest they get "distracted" from their goal of conquering Asia.
    
Dempo became the first Indian club to progress to the semi-finals of the AFC Cup when they defeated Home United 4-3 in Singapore.
    
"My priority right now is the AFC Cup semi-finals against Safa Club of Lebanon (on October 7 and 21). I don't want to spend time on the I-league. I don't want it to be a distraction," Indian football's most celebrated coach in recent times said from Goa on Friday.
    
"Everybody knows Dempo in India. Now we want to make a name for ourselves in Asia. Earlier, it was all about Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, but now the tables have turned and Dempo's here to make waves.
    
"If we make it to the final of the AFC Cup, then it will be a great thing for Indian football," said the coach who doesn't mince his words.
    
The I-League is starting today in Kolkata and Goa simultaneously and the Dempo coach opted to keep his team out of the title race.
    
"I would be happy if we manage to stay afloat in the I-league. I don't want to go down to the second division," said the coach of the defending champions.

Colaco feels the AIFF and Goa Football Association should have considered Dempo's position and given them more time to prepare for the AFC Cup.
    
"We have a match today in the Goa Pro League and are playing JCT in the I-League on Sunday. It is madness, the players are going to be overworked. How can they run the Goa League and I-League simultaneously?" Colaco questioned.
    
Thus he has decided to rest his key players in the I-League. "I don't want them to pick up injuries.
    
"I wasn't worried when we lost to Salgaocar and Churchill Brothers by huge margins in the Goa Pro League. For I was playing my reserves. Our sole focus was the AFC Cup and it remains so."
    
Colaco, whose name was recommended for the Dronacharya Award, has meanwhile, written to the AFC and the AIFF urging 0them to slot Dempo's home match in the AFC Cup semi-final at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda.
    
Dempo had to play their quarter-final home match against Home United in Hyderabad since the stadium in Fatorda does not have floodlight facilities.
     
"Our recent success in Asia has fuelled a lot more interest in the club and people want to see us play in Goa. That's why we have asked the AFC to allow us to play in Fatorda and in daylight.
    
"We hope for a positive outcome after the month of Ramzan comes to an end," he said. Dempo play Safa in Lebanon on October 7 and meet them at home on the 21st.

The huge response following Dempo's recent success has also given rise to a lot of business opportunities.
    
Club Chairman, Srinivas Dempo, is aware of the team's potential.
    
"We have been receiving lot of congratulatory messages, posters and banners are being displayed in our honour and it makes business sense to tap this football craze.
    
"We have also approached the Goa Government for land to build our own stadium in Panjim. It has been cleared and we are waiting for the paperworks before work starts on war footing," said the coach who also doubles up as the club's secretary.
    
His success lies in retaining the same team over a number of years and Colaco feels that the boys are happy to stay at Dempo.
    
"We have a good bunch of players, the youngsters are also shaping up well and with no major injuries, hopefully we should be doing well."
    
He didn't pick any favourites for the I-league though and felt all teams who are in the top flight deserve to be there. "It all boils down to how you perform on a particular day."

Honda to launch two small cars within 4 years
    
Tapukara (Rajasthan): Japanese car major Honda Motor Co on Friday said it would launch two small cars in India within the next four years, the first of which will be by next June-July as it seeks to play a significant part in the small cars segment.
    
The company, which operates in India through a joint venture with the Siel Group -- Honda Siel Cars India, on Friday inaugurated its second plant here, which would mainly manufacture its small car for the Indian market.
   
"We will be launching two small cars in India within the next three to four years. The first one will be rolled out by June-July next year," Honda Siel Cars India Vice-President (Marketing) Jnaneswar Sen said.
    
The company will launch its premium hatchback 'Jazz' by next year, which would be followed by a 1.2 litre petrol engine small car currently under development, he said.     

The Jazz would initially be produced at the company's first plant at Greater Noida, and later would be shifted to the plant here as soon as it is completed, Sen said.
    
The company had announced an initial investment of Rs 1,000 crore for the plant here, which will have a capacity of 60,000 units, expandable up to 2.4 lakh units.

Emphasising the importance of India and the second plant to Honda's overall gameplan, Honda Motor Co President and CEO Takeo Fukui said: "For Honda India is a very important market and our faith in India growth story says intact.
    
"Our investment plans in India are on track and Honda is confident of catering to the increasing demands of our Indian customers through its new plant."
    
He said with Indo-ASEAN FTA in place, HSCI will get integrated into Honda's pan Asian supply chain network.
    
"This plant will be used to export certain Indian components to Asian countries," Fukui added.
     
He said Honda would also set up R&D function in India to focus on market and environmental research and development of local components and material more suited to Indian conditions.
    
The company on Friday inaugurated the first phase of its second plant here at Tapukara, which comprises press facility and advanced power train unit.
    
It has already employed 250 people, which is likely to go up to 500 by the end of current fiscal.
    
Spread over 600 acres, HSCI's suppliers would occupy a 150 acres area in the plant here. The unit will supply body panels and engine components to HSCI's Greater Noida plant.     

Fukui also said in order to nurture local talent and enhance skill levels of the youth of the region, Honda would set up a college for imparting technical education in the field of automotive technology.
    
The company will offer a three-year Honda certificate programme.