Kolkata: Two times ISL champions ATK are really worried about their academy owing to Dengue which has affected hundreds of lives in the city of Kolkata. The management is extremely troubled and worried as the academy which serves as a medium to build up the young aspiring footballers has met a crisis due to this dreadful disease, after 13 young footballers of ATK have been admitted to a private hospital located near of the Salt Lake Stadium after being affected by this horrible disease. Among the afftected 13 players, 8 belong to the U15 team while 5 players of the U15 team. Among these 13 youngsters, 3 of them have been discharged and sent to their homes while 10 of them are still recovering in the hospital.
After shamefully losing 13-0 to Mohun Bagan in the AIFF U15 match today, questions have been raised regarding the academy. Is the academy not functioning properly? It then came to light that owing to these many young players getting affected by this gruesome disease, ATK were forced to field their ‘D’ team in the match which they subsequently lost to the Green and Maroon Brigade.
The CEO of ATK Raghu Iyer who is currently in Mumbai spoke over the telephone to www.xtratime.in said, “We have got lots of responsibilities on these boys to take care of them properly. So let them cure first, then we will decide on the future course of action,”.
Debasish Sen, the Chairman of NKDA and HIDCO, immediately replied, “There is no such academy” when questioned about the academy of ATK thereby hanging up the phone. Further trying to contact Mr.Sen seemed futile as he didn’t receive any more calls.
Before that we also spoke with Mr. Sabyasachi Dutta, Chairman, Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation to know more about the academy and the youngsters to which he clearly requested us to contact Mr. Debashis Sen to get more details on the matter, since Mr. Sen is in the charge of the Rajarhat area where ATK has started their residential academy.