WITH the State Inter-District Football Championship round the corner, Nagpur District Football Association (NDFA) selection committee has started narrowing in on picking the best 18 from district. The Western India Football Association (WIFA) will be conduting the final round of the championship in Nagpur with winners from four zonal meet and last year’s semi-finalists completing the 8-team line-up.

 

The championship is going to be held in Nagpur from April 20. Around top fifty footballers from the city were picked for the selection trials which started on April 2 at NDFA’s Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Football Stadium in Suyog Nagar, North Nagpur. After 14 days of trials, the selectors have now pruned the probables to 35. “The final 18 will be declared in the next few days,” informed NDFA Secretary Stanley Gregory. Ashok Raut, Mohd Iliyas and AB Khan are the selectors. Meanwhile, the tournament is likely to be postponed due to non-avalibility of accommodation in the city, it has been learnt. “We might have to postpone the meet to April 25 or 29 due to non-availability of rooms at MLA hoster,” a source told ‘The Hitavada’.