This year, these veterans will combine with the young.

Though this may present a depressing scenario for Bank of India, they have a good victory under their belt. They are the All-India Inter-Bank champions, having won the title in Kerala recently. In the Rovers Cup, BoI had crashed out in the pre-quarterfinals.

BoI will find it tough against sides with fitter and faster forwards. Their coach S N Devadas identifies their problem area. ``The defence is our weak spot, having the aged Cardoza, Furtado manning it,'' he says.

BoI are in a no gain situation as far as recruitments are concerned but age seemed to have caught up with a couple of players. ``Ramesh Poojary, a defender, has shown little interest in playing anymore,'' says Devadas while Harish Suvarna has given the coach some heartaches this year byannouncing that age may have finally caught up with him.

This is not all. Kallon Das, one of their many on stipend from Calcutta, has injured his hand and may not be playing this year while RN Mitra is recuperating after an operation.

BANK OF INDIA COACH: SN Devadas

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Shankar Thakur, L Hansa.

PERFORMANCE IN LOCAL LEAGUES: Fourth in 1998, runners-up in '97.

PERFORMANCE ELSEWHERE IN COUNTRY: Inter-Bank champion in '99 at Kerala.

TEAM

GOALKEEPERS: Sanjiv Verma, KB Fysal.

DEFENDERS: Evaristo Cardoza, Umesh Shetty, Michael Furtado, Shashi Shetty, Chandan Harijan, Prashanta Mitra, Syamal Singa.

MID-FIELDERS: Harish Suvarna, SC Thakur, MK Karumagalam, Sanjay Hazare, Lakhwinder Hansa, Navin Kotian.

STRIKERS: Chandrakant Poojary, Anton Saldanha, Satish M E, George D'Lima, Bashir Hussain.