Story ProgressBack to home
Goa club gets first PIO player
Goa's Churchill Brothers Sports Club has become the first team in India to sign a foreign player of Indian origin.
- NDTVSports
- Updated: February 25, 2007 10:36 AM IST
Read Time:2 min
Goa :
Goa's Churchill Brothers Sports Club has become the first team in India to sign a foreign player of Indian origin. The side has also managed to qualify for the National Football League after two years on the sidelines. Striker James Effiong earned the distinction of being the first PIO player after he impressed the Churchill Brother scouts who saw him playing for a local club in Bangalore. "My mom is an Indian, born in Bangalore. She is an Anglo-Indian, my dad is from Nigeria so we have been staying here for quite sometime now so last year we just got the PIO made for us so which was quite good. This also helped me to play as a player of Indian Origin. I'm hoping to play for India sometime soon," said Effiong. Earlier this month, the All India Football Federation gave the thumbs up for clubs to sign a PIO. However, the clubs will still continue to use the services of two foreign players in the domestic leagues. Many believe it's a move that will help improve the standard of the game in India. "For the Indian football players, we're not trying to ignore them. It's good to play with good players from abroad. It will help them grow, and give them a chance to develop, and of course having players who are of Indian origin. It's a good idea," said Karim Bencharifa, Coach, Churchill Brothers.Topics mentioned in this article
Football Bayern Munchen
Get the Latest IPL 2024 Updates, check out IPL 2024 schedules and IPL points table at NDTV Sports.Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for more sports updates. You can also download the NDTV Cricket app for Android or iOS.