Mohali, July 15 (IANS) Punjab FC has announced the signing of defender Bijoy Varghese for the upcoming season from I-League side Inter Kashi. The 25-year-old centre back has signed a contract until 2028.

Bijoy joined Kerala Blasters in the 2021-22 season and was part of the side that finished runner-up that year. He then joined Inter Kashi on loan in the 2023-24 season and made 10 appearances in the I-League before the move was made permanent for the next season. Bijoy played 12 times for Inter Kashi in the 2024-25 season.

Speaking on his signing for Punjab FC, Bijoy said, “I’m really excited to be joining Punjab FC and looking forward to this new chapter in my career. There’s strong competition for defensive spots here in the club, which is great for my growth and will push me to give my best every day. I’m confident that I can contribute to the team’s objectives with my experience and commitment, and I can’t wait to get started with the squad.”

Bijoy was born in Pulluvila, a coastal village in Kerala’s capital, Thiruvananthapuram, and started playing football due to the influence of his three older brothers who were football players themselves. He started his youth career at local side, Kovalam FC before moving to Sports Authority of India.

He has represented Kerala in various youth levels and was also part of the side that were champions of the Khelo India Youth Games 2019, from where he was scouted to the Kerala Blasters.

Speaking about the signing, Technical Director of Punjab FC, Nikolaos Topoliatis, said, “We are happy to welcome Bijoy to Punjab FC. He is a talented defender who brings valuable experience from both the ISL and I-League. His signing is in line with our philosophy of building a strong pool of young Indian players and maintaining good squad depth. We believe he will add quality to our backline and grow further within our system. I wish him the best of luck in the upcoming seasons.”

–IANS

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