Income-Tax, once the powerhouse of football in the state and which commands resources from more than 2000 employees in Gujarat alone are today finding it difficult to piece together a single complete team.

The 1997 football season has ticked off and I-T who are participating in various tournaments, are relying on guest players.

This despite the fact that the department has in its ranks as many players as are needed to make two full teams.

This season, I-T have consistently fielded three to four guest players. When questioned, officials admit that out of a team of eight or nine, not including the guest players, only three or four of their players are playing up to the mark. Though I-T finished in a creditable second spot in the B Nanji district tournament, it would be a folly to credit a team with good show who bank on their “imported” stars.

When contacted, I-T administrative head Girish Dave, denied having any knowledge of the fact that his team was fielding guest players and claimed that his duties extended only to recruiting players when told so and signing on the players' list submitted to him for the various tournaments assuming that the players being fielded were I-T players only.

Sources say that though recruitments took place in 1978, '83, '87, '92 and '95, the players recruited earlier have now outrun their utility whereas from the younger, newer recruits, only a few show up for regular practice.

Mr Dave also said that it was not his duty to check whether all recruited players showed up for practice.

A player from the last batch of recruits cheated the department to get the job by submitting false proofs of his qualifications. Despite this having come to the notice of the department no action was taken.

At present, the average age of the team is 30 years. So while others are teaching their kids to play, these old, weak and weary knees continue playing a game, which essentially calls for immense speed, endurance and skills.

The department claims that on paper, the players are relieved at 4.00 pm starting one month before a tournament. Yet very few show up for practice while others simply go home.

The regulars admit that they have no major workload in the office, but they say that they are not actually relieved at 4.00 pm as officials say and those who are still playing, do so because of their love for the game and not owing to any facilities provided by the department.

Some of the younger players, speaking on terms of anonymity, allege that older players who are not fielded and who wish to play, are responsible too as they behave vindictively and instigate some of the younger ones not to show up for practice.

They also assert that many recruits, only a few show up for regular practice.

As against this, those who were recruited to play, enjoy the cool comfort of the office, what with soft cushion jobs and comfortable postings.

Despite the fact that the department has as many players as are needed to make two full teams, they are frustrated not only because of lack of facilities and support from the department but also as they are ever so often posted in areas which have absolutely no sports culture.

On the other side of the coin are the guest players, who in the hope of getting recruited, keep playing and end up with nothing except a place in a welcome-always team.

These guest players do not shirk the responsibility to sprint mad for the host team for 90-odd minutes and they keep doing it till they too outrun their utility.