Indian Football Fans
Further damage to Houghton's favourite stadium
On a day when Indian football team coach Bob Houghton rued the lack of a decent football ground in the country, the capital's Ambedkar Stadium will be hosting a wedding reception which will, in all likelihood, further damage the already deteriorating turf.
“This is nothing now, and we and the people who care about football in the city suffer because of all these functions,” said NK Bhatia, general secretary of the Delhi Soccer Association.
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.
“This is nothing now, and we and the people who care about football in the city suffer because of all these functions,” said NK Bhatia, general secretary of the Delhi Soccer Association.
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.
