OFCB makes its formal entry

Ozone Football Club Bengaluru (OFCB) made its formal entry into the State’s football fraternity with a launch function here on Tuesday.

OFCB will first compete in the upcoming 2015-16 BDFA Super Division league, and will then focus on qualifying for the 2017-18 I-League season. The professional club’s I-League ambitions hinges on its performances in the BDFA Super Division league, and the I-League 2nd division qualification round that follows.

As it stands now, a direct entry into the I-League main draw — given to Bengaluru FC a couple of years ago — has not been made available to OFCB.

Former FC Eindhoven player Burt Zuurman has been appointed the Head Coach and Technical Director. The squad consists primarily of players from Karnataka who have competed for I-League clubs in the recent past. Anto Xavier, Karthigeyan, Satish Kumar and Sanju Kumar are some of the popular names on the roster.

In 2011, the Ozone Group had started operations at two academies — one in Bengaluru city and the other at Hosur. Most of the training sessions — for the first-team, as well as for the junior wards — are conducted at the fully residential Hosur campus.

It may be recalled that the real estate development firm was awarded the tender — by the Karnataka State Football Association (KSFA) — for the reconstruction of the Bangalore Football Stadium (BFS), ahead of the 2017 FIFA Under-17 World Cup. Ozone Group Chairman and Managing Director, S. Vasudevan, stated that the club will not use the BFS until work is complete. “Our home is at the Hosur academy. We have around four to five alternate grounds which we can use as well,” he said.

The parent company is also the principal sponsor of Indian Super League franchise Chennaiyin FC. “Tactical methods used at Chennaiyin FC will be shared with the OFCB players and staff. We are also keen toCOLLABORATE with the ISL grassroots programme,” Vasudevan added.

Dutch coach Zuurman explained that he is open to the possibility of signing foreign players, provided the fit is right. “A foreign player must have the ability to make a positive difference, otherwise he is of no use,” Zuurman said.

KSFA patron N.A. Haris, Bangalore District Football Association chairman M.P. Swamy and other office bearers of the KSFA and the BDFA attended the launch function. — Sports Reporter