Kamal Ghorui
KOCHI: The Indian men’s football team faced fresh embarrassment on Thursday, this time even before they could take the field. National head coach Khalid Jamil and the team were denied entry to Kochi’s Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium, the venue for India’s Asian Cup qualifier against Hong Kong on March 31. Jamil had reached the stadium to inspect the pitch and attend a scheduled press conference, but officials of the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) refused him entry.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!GCDA security staff also stopped the Indian team from training at the stadium. The team had to later train at Kerala Blasters’ training ground in Trippunithura, 10 kilometres away from the stadium. GCDA staff said they were acting on instructions from the secretary and chairman not to allow anyone into the stadium complex until the full rent and security deposit was paid by the Kerala Football Association (KFA), the host association for India’s Asian Cup Qualifier with Hong Kong here on March 31.
KFA president Navas Meeran said, “The Asian Cup qualifier will go ahead as planned. What happened on Thursday was a minor technical problem and it will be sorted out soon,” he said.The GCDA is seeking a security deposit of Rs 25 lakh and a match rent of Rs 3 lakh. The KFA agreed to pay, but the GCDA demanded the full amount on Thursday itself, before allowing the scheduled press conference and practice session to proceed. Although the KFA asked for more time, the GCDA refused.Meanwhile, coach Jamil arrived at the stadium for the press conference and ground inspection, but after waiting for a long time at the KFA office amid the dispute, he was left with no option but to leave. Security personnel also stopped journalists from entering for the press conference, saying they had orders from higher authorities not to allow anyone in. The main gate was later locked.
