League match postponed for Vengaboys concert

Kolkata:

The Indian Football Association in Kolkata is up in arms because they were forced to postpone a crucial super division league match between rivals Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. With the state police unable to ensure complete security for two events, priority was given to the Vengaboys concert held just outside the Salt Lake stadium. According to Ranjit Gupta, Joint Secretary, Indian Football Association, "Resources have to be brought through the sponsors and the selling of tickets. The only way to get people interested in football is through these scheduled programmes. If these are jeopardized, if people are not sure when the matches will be held, if sponsors are not sure and if media is not sure, then the game will definitely suffer." The police now have a different story to tell. They say the stadium stalls were being used by policemen who had come to take part in an all India police football tournament. Football organisers and enthusiasts say that the stadium has been built for sports and that is what it should be primarily reserved for. If other activities are given priority over it, then it is the game that will ultimately suffer.