Debjit Majumder left out of the national team over Saturday no-show

THINGS HAVE TAKEN a turn for the worse for Mohun Bagan keeper Debjit Majumder as he has been seemingly left out of the national team camp in Kochi.

Debjit, who was judged to be the best goalkeeper in I-League last season, got his first national team call-up ahead of the India vs Turkmenistan game. He was asked to report on 26th March. But since Mohun Bagan were scheduled to play Aizawl FC away on the same day and their second keeper Shilton Paul was out with an injury, Debjit was played in the match. Hence he could not show up at the national team camp.

Although he was eager to join the camp next day - Sunday March 27th - he received no ticket from the national team management to travel to Kochi from Aizawl.

It appears since his arrival on 27th afternoon would leave him with only one session to practice with the national team - Monday morning - before they take on Turkmenistan on Tuesday night. The management deemed it to be a futile exercise and decided not to bring him in.

This obviously comes as a blow to Debjit who was personally very excited about his first national team call-up. But what would bother him as well as his club is if the AIFF Disciplinary Committee deems it to be an offense and suspends him. Because missing out on his presence in an I-League title race may be a blow that the Mariners find too hard to recover from.