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| Sunday, 2 May 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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12 teams in KAFL 'A' div. K-O tourney by S.M. JIFFREY ABDEEN - Kandy Sports Corr. Twelve Teams have entered the Kandy Association Football League's (KAFL) 'A' Division knock out soccer tournament which will be sponsored by Swarnavahini and will be worked off from May 7th onwards with the final being scheduled to be played on May 30th. The Senior Vice-President of the KAFL Maurice Perera at a briefing among the clubs said that this tournament not be worked off in the year 2003 due to high cost of ground fees. There is no ground problem in Kandy as the Bogambara Stadium with the adequate infrastructure is not being used for most days of the month. But ground hire charges demanded by them is exorbitant and does not in any encourage or promote sports. Maurice Perera continued that at present the Bogambara Stadium which is run by the Sugathadasa Stadium Complex coming directly under the Ministry of Sports demands as much Rs. 5,700 to stage a soccer match which is beyond the reach any soccer playing club or Football league. The KAFL appealed to the former Minister of Sports and other relevant authorities on several occasions to make the ground hire charges affordable to the poor soccer playing clubs but this fell on the deaf elephant ears. The end result was that soccer in the hill capital suffered and the majestic Bogambara Stadium gathered dust. Maurice Perera further said that this charge of Rs. 5,700 per match is far beyond the reach of the Football League and the clubs whose players are either unemployed or under-employed finding it even difficult to have a square meal a day. Statistics will show how many soccer matches were played at the Bogambara Stadium in the year 2003 and the authorities should investigate as to why only a few matches had been played in a ground which is primarily meant for soccer and the cradle of soccer in the hill capital. He appealed to the new Minister of Sports Jeevan Kumaratunga to look into the injustice done to soccer in the hill capital and look into the possibility of reducing the ground hire charges for soccer matches and making it within the reach of the poor clubs and help to promote this so-called poor man's game. He also paid a glowing tributed to the Deputy Inspector General of Police of the Central Range Bodhi Liyanage who is also the President of the KAFL for the past 15 years for taking efforts to obtain Police grounds in Kandy, for playing of the knock out tournament matches. He would also like to place on record the appreciation of the steps taken by SSP Kandy Gunatillake Bandara for agreeing to release the grounds for soccer matches of the KAFL. Earlier mostly cricket matches played at Police grounds and was not available for soccer. Due to the steps taken by DIG Bodhi Liyanage and SSP Gunatillake Bandara soccer in Kandy has been given a new lease of life. The Secretary of the KAFL M.T. Sinnen said that at present the lower division soccer matches are played at the University grounds, Peradeniya devoid of any spectators which does not in any way help to promote soccer as it will have only academical interest and to confirm the fact that a tournament had been indeed conducted by the League. To develop and promote soccer, the matches must be played at the Bogambara Stadium but the cost of playing in that venue has blown soccer 'off side". The following teams have entered this tournament: Defending champions Kandy York Sports Club, champions trophy runner-up Golden Stars Sports Club, winners of champions trophy in 2002 Hylines Sports Club, Kandy Municipal Sports Club, Sunrise Football & Athletic Club, Reliance Sports Club, Kennedy Sports Club, Katukelle United Sports Club, Unicorn Sports Club, Green Park Sports Club, Sisu Sports Club, Golden Wings Sports Club. The matches up to the final will be played at Police grounds Kandy while the finals will be played at the Bogambara Stadium, on May 30. The annual general meeting of the KAFL will be also held at Queens Hotel, Kandy on May 30. |
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