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Boys upbeat despite poor I-League show: Lajong Gen Sect

Shillong Lajong FC general secretary Larsing Ming Sawain has admitted that the club`s I-League debacle was a setback but asserted that the team remains upbeat despite poor show in the tournament.

Shillong: Shillong Lajong FC general secretary Larsing Ming Sawain has admitted that the club`s
I-League debacle was a setback but asserted that the team remains upbeat despite poor show in the tournament. "Getting relegated is a setback but the boys are not demoralised. It was a mixed season for the team," Sawain said last evening. "The boys did well in Federation Cup. They defeated the top five teams, but strategy in I-League games is different. Boys run down through immense pressure as they have to play both home and away games," he said. He maintained that the boys were inexperienced and conditions away from home were tough for the boys to cope with. Lajong`s debut season in I-League ended in relegation, with North-East based club finishing rock bottom in the table with six wins from 26 games. Asked about the exit of the coach Stanley Rosario, Sawain said, "He had one-year contract with Lajong which got expired. So, he is free to choose any club." Rosario, a former assistant India coach and Army captain, has joined Mohun Bagan. Lajong, the only club from North East to play I-League is on the look-out for a foreign coach. The team has also overrun its contract with two of its key foreign recruits - Daniel Bidemi and James Gbilee - and the management will be looking forward for some new and better players, Sawain said. Commenting on being relegated out of I-League, Sawain said, "AIFF should understand that Lajong has made football popular in the region. It is the first team from North-East to qualify for I-League." PTI