The Hindu : Sport : Match abandoned due to rain

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Oct 29, 2007
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Sport

Sport

Match abandoned due to rain

S.R. Suryanarayan

— Photo: V. Ganesan

WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE: The Match Referee tests the conditions at the Nehru Stadium with a ball.

CHENNAI: Non-stop rain from Saturday evening meant there was little possibility of the India-Lebanon round one World Cup football qualifier match taking place at the Nehru Stadium here on Sunday. As things stand with rains continuing to pelt the city, the match is being shifted to Goa.

FIFA rules stipulate that the Referee inspect the turf an hour before the scheduled start and inform his decision to the Match Commissioner. As though to confirm that play was not possible, the Referee took a ball with him and kicked it to see it float on the sheet of water.

Match commissioner Rendeni Gamini of Sri Lanka later said, “bad weather and poor ground conditions have made us decide that play was not possible and the match has been postponed to Monday for a 4 p.m. kick off. On Monday the Referee will inspect the pitch one hour before the scheduled start and indicate when the match can be conducted,” he said.

Change of plan

No sooner that was done than came word that the Lebanon team is set to leave for Goa on Monday morning itself. While Indian officials were mum on this, sources in the Lebanon camp said that confirmed air bookings had been made for Monday morning’s flight. Meanwhile, the Indian team is also scheduled to leave for Goa by the early morning flight. This sudden change of plan could not have come without official knowledge, even if it is true that with weathermen forecasting more rains, there is little likelihood of the match taking place on Monday.

Mr. Gamini had earlier said that, “in the event of the conditions being impossible on Monday also, then we will put the matter for FIFA to decide.”

But clearly AIFF, with its secretary Alberto Colaco here, has decided to look ahead after getting in touch with the World body. Since FIFA is keen that any changed venue should be around the same region and preferably not far away from the originally planned place of match Goa was found acceptable.

Since the round-two of this qualifying phase begins on November 8, this match has to be completed by then and now the indications are that the match will be held in Goa on October 30.

The weather notwithstanding, both teams arrived at the stadium but remained within the confines of the players’ rooms awaiting formal announcement.

The CFA officials said there were no ticket sales in view of the uncertainty. For the SDAT, which owns the stadium, it was a disappointment after all the efforts made to get the venue ready for the important match.

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