New Delhi: The All India Football Federation (AIIF) announced that the Senior Women's National Football Championship will be shifted to a new venue after having been marred by incessant rain over the last week at Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh.
The tournament will be moved to three new venues after photos and videos of muddy pitches at the Pasighat and CHF stadiums began circulating on social media.
The Championship will now be played at the Indira Gandhi Golden High School, Kiyit Secondary School and Daying Ering Football Stadium, Nari.
"Due to untimely incessant rainfall at Pasighat, the Local Organising Committee (State Association) have shifted all matches of the ongoing 25th Senior Women's National Football Championship 2019-20 to three alternate grounds," AIFF said in a press release.
"The Championship would now be played at the Indira Gandhi Golden High School, Kiyit Secondary School, and Daying Ering Football Stadium, Nari. While the Indira Gandhi Ground is in Pasighat itself, the other two are 45 minutes away from Pasighat. In fact, the Indira Gandhi Golden High School ground has been hosting matches from Friday (September 13) itself," the release added.
"All the three grounds have been duly inspected by the Match Commissioners, Referees and Referee Assessors.
The Championship has been drawing good crowd support, and we need to thank Shri Pema Khandu, honourable Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, and Shri Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for their support for women's football, and also attending the opening day of the Championship," AIFF said in the release.
Karnataka's Tanvie Hans took to Twitter to post pictures of the CHF ground and expressed displeasure on the conditions players were forced to play in.
Arunachal Pradesh Football Association (APFA) secretary Ajay Kipa when asked to comment had said that the ground conditions were better as the tournament went on with the sun coming out. "Ground conditions are alright now because the rain has stopped. Because of the rain, the ground was wet but with the sun coming out now, it is fine," Kipa told News18.com.
Kipa said that they had the motor to drain the water out of the ground but the rain was so incessant that they were helpless. He further said that with the rain stopping, the volunteers "took out the water with buckets" and the situation was an improved one now.
No complaints were raised to the APFA regarding the ground conditions, according to Kipa. "They are also supporting us because we can't challenge the nature right? We had done all the preparations but rain ruined it all."
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