Imphal, Jan 10 : The long-stalled second leg of the 3rd Manipur State League will resume on January 18 with new arrangements in playing venues. The All Manipur Football Association (AMFA) also reprimanded two referees for submitting contradictory reports.
According to the association, the change in venue has been effected for security reasons and the smooth conduct of matches.
According to the new set-up, three teams, including the All Moirang Football Association, Tiddim Road Unique Gamy Players Union and New Lamka Youth Club, will have a common home ground at Mini Stadium, Bishnupur DSA ground.
Phoudel Youth Club will have Kodompokpi Sports Complex in Thoubal district as home venue.
Defending champions North Imphal Sporting Association, along with seven other teams — North Eastern Re-Organising and Cultural Association, Youth Welfare Club, United Sporting Association, Manipur Police Sports Club, Eastern Sporting Union and Tiddim Road Athletic Union — have been allotted home turf at Khuman Lampak Main Stadium, Eastern Sporting Union ground and Thangmeiband Athletic Union Stadium.
The association has appointed Ksh. Modhuchandra Singh, R.K. Badal Singh, N. Jyotinkumar Singh and Y. Purnendu Singh as match commissioners.
The 3rd Manipur State League had been put on hold for the last three months owing to several factors — crowd invasion, refereeing, and lack of security cover among others.
In another related development, the association has reprimanded two referees — M. Magho Singh and Surendro Singh — for contradictory reports of a single match.
Both referees will now be sidelined from getting any official task until further orders.
The association, in a memorandum stated that on October 8 last year, the last match of the first leg featuring North Imphal Sporting Association and Tiddim Road Unique Gamy Players Union at the latter’s home ground at Nambol had ended abruptly when referee M. Magho Singh reverted his earlier decision of awarding a goal in favour of North Imphal in the closing minutes of the first half.
Further, the match reports submitted to the association and the home team by field referee M. Magho Singh were contradictory.
The AMFA claimed that such an act by the referee was uncalled for and the submission of two unidentical reports had tarnished the image of the association.