By Shoubhik Mukhopadhyay
I-League Media

NEW DELHI: Dempo Sports Club, undoubtedly the most successful team in Indian football, haven’t tasted success in the age group football till now. Having lost five out of eight encounters in Goa zone last season, they finished with the wooden spoon in the Goa zone. Gone are those days and Dempo SC are striving to rewrite the history this season.

Dempo SC were ransacked by AIFF Elite Academy, eventual champions, by a whopping margin of 1-5 and that grisly carnage actually massacred Dempo SC’s campaign completely. Subsequently they could not regroup and the results testified their horrid on-the-field form. Year passed, the team have turned their back towards history and are raring to go in U-18 I-League this season.

Aaron Rodrigues has been handed the armband and he has reciprocated well since now. He has shown tremendous courage and his shrewd football knowledge would provide added advantage to Dempo SC in the upcoming tournament.

Kapil Hoble and Vineet Bugde are the pivotal blokes in the attacking third. Kapil has shown his worth throughout and coaching team won’t think twice to put him upfront to breach opponent defence. Unlike last season, defenders are sworn to keep their own half unscathed and their stern approach and sturdy physicality would be something that opponents would dare to face. Edwin Viegas, Valerio Palha, Ashley Rodrigues, Shankar Gaunder and Ashok Megari, indeed the coach has to take a tough call to pick up the starting eleven.

Dempo SC are not getting carried away with their flashy start of the season and they are aptly focused to hit the bull’s eye now. “Boys are working hard, success shouldn’t shy away and we’re pretty confident to make into the next round”, one of the officials sounded really optimistic ahead of Dempo SC’s crucial encounter against AIFF Elite Academy.