Guwahati: North East United FC co-owner John Abraham expressed deep concern at the incidents of poaching of the one-horned rhinos in Assam. The Bollywood actor said he and his team would like to work towards safeguarding the rhino.
"Northeast being my second home it hurts to see rhinos getting killed at the hand of poachers everyday. It's most unfortunate that the rhino is in such a pathetic fate. Our team would like to work in this regard in the coming days," said John addressing a press conference on Sunday.
On Saturday, when NEUFC was playing against Pune City GC in Guwahati, a female rhino was killed by poachers at Pabitora Wildlife Sanctuary, which is some 45 km away from the state capital.
Official records say that a total of 193 one-horned rhinos have fallen victim to poaching in Assam since 2001.
About the game, John said the team was at a crucial stage of the tournament. Though he appreciated the local players, the actor said more hard work needed to be done on the field.
"Some young players of our team will be stars in the next two or three years," John said.
Admitting the team's weakness in forward, the Bollywood actor said the forthcoming matches were crucial for the team to decide its fate.
"The tournament is not over yet and we have a chance to make it to the last four or even further. I admit that our forward needs to improve but as a team we have a fair chance," he said. On Saturday, NEUFC drew with Pune City FC at Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium.
After playing eight matches in ISL, NEUFC has pocketed 10 points to be placed at fifth position.
He expressed hope on the chances of local lad Alen Deory and Durga Boro. "Alen is like a little brother. He is still very young. He needs time to grow and has a bright future," he said.
In the match against Pune City FC, Alen featured in the playing eleven and has been able to impress with his swift movement on the field.
