MCD again plays spoilsport at Ambedkar Stadium

New Delhi, Jan 14 (PTI) The Delhi sub-junior team''sselection trials for the Mir Iqbal Hussain trophy footballtournament has been hit hard after the Municipal CorporationofDelhi released water at the Ambedkar Stadium, thus making theturf completely unsuitable for conducting trials.

"Why are they always against football, what have the boysdone. This is nothing new but if this is the attitude then howwill the boys train, and how will the team be picked," saidDelhi Soccer Association secretary, NK Bhatia.

MCD had last month decided to increase the rent forhosting matches in the stadium from Rs 500 to 5000 per game.

"That amount is high, so we have passed a resolution tothe standing committee of th MCD. But they, it seems, are nottoo keen on initiating the process. It''s really very sad,"Bhatia said.

MCD''s lackadaisical attitude towards sporting activitiescame in for stinging criticism from the DSA last week after ithosted a wedding reception in the middle of the ground, thusdamaging the turf further.

It must be mentioned that the stadium is owned by theMunicipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), and Bhatia said, that iswhere the problem lies. They treat the ground as theirfiefdom, and football is never a priority, leaving the DSAmandarins helpless.

"We can''t do anything. We want to host the I-Leaguematches but because of these function we are not able tomaintain the ground," he added.

Ambedkar Stadium is the home ground of AIFF XI, thecity-based I-League team, but due to unplayable conditions,their home matches had to be shifted to Gurgaon''s Tau Devi LalStadium.