MCD again plays spoilsport at Ambedkar Stadium

The Delhi sub-junior team`s selection trials has been hit hard after the MCD released water at the Ambedkar Stadium.

New Delhi: The Delhi sub-junior team`s selection trials for the Mir Iqbal Hussain trophy football tournament has been hit hard after the Municipal Corporation of Delhi released water at the Ambedkar Stadium, thus making the turf completely unsuitable for conducting trials.

"Why are they always against football, what have the boys done. This is nothing new but if this is the attitude then how will the boys train, and how the team will be picked," said Delhi Soccer Association secretary, NK Bhatia. MCD had last month decided to increase the rent for hosting matches in the stadium from Rs 500 to 5000 per game. "That amount is high, so we have passed a resolution to the standing committee of th MCD. But they, it seems, are not too keen on initiating the process. It`s really very sad," Bhatia said.MCD`s lackadaisical attitude towards sporting activities came in for stinging criticism from the DSA last week after it hosted a wedding reception in the middle of the ground, thus damaging the turf further. It must be mentioned that the stadium is owned by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), and Bhatia said, that is where the problem lies. They treat the ground as their fiefdom, and football is never a priority, leaving the DSA mandarins helpless. "We can`t do anything. We want to host the I-League matches but because of these function we are not able to maintain the ground," he added. Ambedkar Stadium is the home ground of AIFF XI, the city-based I-League team, but due to unplayable conditions, their home matches had to be shifted to Gurgaon`s Tau Devi Lal Stadium. PTI