Cochin Port Football Team Gearing up for Kerala Premiere League

KOCHI:
Cochin Port Trust Football team is presently one of the oldest departmental football teams in Kerala state. Our team was formed in the early 70’s. During 80’s and 90’s we were one among the best teams in the State. Several of our players represented Kerala team in junior and senior level, even in International level and made remarkable impression in the history of Kerala football. Our players Ancil D’Silva and Vijayakumar had represented India during that time. Unfortunately, the team could not be maintained further due to restrictions in regular recruitment under sports quota and windup in the mid 90’s.
Later Cochin Port Trust team was reconstituted during the year 2000 by recruiting few sports trainees. After the reformation, our team has won several All Kerala and All India Tournaments. Since reconstitution in 2000, we won the All India Major Port Football Championship five times and was runners up in 7 occasions and was also were champions of Senior Division District League 8 times beating teams like Central Excise and Indian Navy and professional teams like Eagle F.C, Josco F.C. This year in the Major Port Football Tournament held at Mumbai, Cochin Port team became champions with out conceding a single goal in the entire tournament.
Due to the ban on recruitment in sports quota and the financial crisis the Port is facing, new players could not be inducted. Ever Since former international Volleyball Captain P Rajvinod, took charge as the head of sports activities of CoPT, a new life is put in to the team.
The Dy Chairman, A.V.Ramana and Secretary, Gowri S Nair is always there to support the team and with the relentless support from the management, the team is gearing up for the Kerala Premier League by adding some excellent junior players and also inducted two foreign players on loan. The arrival of two foreign players, Sulaiman Sylla native of Guniea (former Dempo Goa player) and Assaku Aqua Effiong (Known as Fabrice) born in Nigeria has strengthen the team considerably. This is the first time in the history of Kerala Football that a foreign player is playing for a department team. At present, the team includes Akash
Pradeep (Junior Indian Player and MG University) Goutham Muralidharan (Junior State & MG University) Anoj TS (Under 21 7 MG University), Shri P.A.Suneer (Former Santhosh Trophy player).
Former Players Biju .B.N and C.M Lloyd is the coach of the team and P.D Pramod is the manager of the team.
The first home match of Cochin Port Trust in the Kerala Premier League is scheduled on 13th March at the Ambedkar Stadium.