Srinagar, November 22: Despite huge announcements and making tall claims in public about prize money involved, there is no schedule announced for the ‘upcoming’ UT Premier League tournaments and it has turned them into but a joke with people making ridicule of organisers, J&K Sports Council and J&K Football Association.
The announcements were big but nothing concrete has happened at the ground level with no schedule announced in any of the tournaments, despite the fact that the harsh Kashmir weather is approaching.
While Volleyball, Hockey, Kabaddi have lesser magnitude, it is the football that everyone is looking at. But with no certainty about when will the event kick-start, teams and players are getting anxious.
J&K Football Association, when contacted, said that they are ready and have already made the fixtures. They said they are waiting for nod from Sports Council to make the announcement. However, they have not been given any nod yet.
Meanwhile, it is understood that Sports Council is waiting for some VIP tickets to inaugurate the events and that is the reason they are unable to give any update on the start.
Players and football teams are anxious as the weather conditions are about to go bad in the coming winter months of the Kashmir valley. While in patches, one can hold matches in Srinagar on synthetic turf but in other districts, it will be a real bad situation.
“We don’t know what is happening. No one is saying anything about the start . It is becoming a joke. By doing this they are making things difficult for teams as well as themselves. It will not be easy to organise this event as the weather worsens,” said a player.
Even outside J&K journalists are making fun of Sports Council and J&K Football Association.
One of the journalist from Mumbai, who reports football, told KSW that it is mockery in the name of sports and a shame to see such things happen.
” I contacted both Football Association and Sports Council. Both pointed at each other, when asked about the dates and schedule. Sorry to say but sports bodies there are a Joke. They are conducting event without knowing about schedule and start,” he said in a message to KSW.