Tripura footballers to play after scuffle, matches resume tomorrow

Jamshedpur, Feb 15 : The controversial 34th National games today mired in one more controversy when all the women football matches were suspended on the issue of entry of Tripura team, however, it was later included and the competition will resume from tomorrow The games which were postponed twice earlier over infrastructural aspect, today witnessed a conflict between the two top sports authorities of the country, the Games Technical Conduct Committee (GTCC) and AIFF, the football apex body of the country.

Games Coordination Committee Convener Capt Amitabh said the GTCC is supporting the participation of the Tripura team while AIFF objected strongly on it on the grounds that it is not affiliated by them and threatened to back out of the games.

This resulted in the suspension of all the three games today at JRD Tata stadium disappointing hundreds of spectators including school children.

However, Cap Amitabh told UNI that a consent has been made on to include the Tripura team and start the competition from tomorrow after talks with AIFF general secretary Kushal Gupta.

He said that the meeting between the games director Ghulam Rabbani and deputy Commissioner was also affirmative.

In the Women football competition , Jharkhand, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Haryana were in the Pool 'A' while the controversy was to include Tripura team in the Pool 'B' which also include Manipur, Bengal and Assam.

However, The team has been pooled in pool 'B' and the Women football. Semi final and Final of the competition are scheduled on February 17 and 18.