Cuttack: A match of the FAO Ist Division League between Rising Star Club and Morning Club was interrupted due to a skirmish between two officials of the state football’s governing body at the Barabati Stadium here, Wednesday.
A game that was petering out to a tame goalless draw suddenly had life infused in it as FAO joint secretaries Abhijit Pal and Bijay Das virtually came to blows seven minutes before the final whistle.
Drama unfolded when the referee supervising the game awarded a penalty in favour of Morning Club against Rising Star. The players of the latter protested vehemently against the decision and Pal also joined them. Seeing this, Das, who is also a member of Morning Club joined the arguments.
The two FAO officials were engaged in a heated exchange and it soon turned out to be a slanging match between the two. Pal and Das were seen grappling and jostling with each other as others tried to separate them. The two also exchanged a few blows, but peace prevailed soon after with other officials intervening.
The football standard in the state doesn’t deserve any mention and the fracas between two senior officials of FAO once more exposed the way the game is conducted here.
In the other match to be played on the day Western Mahaveer got walkover as their opponents SBI did not turn up.
Thursday’s matches
ECoR vs Radha Govinda Club
Chand Club vs Rising Student Club
MFC beat GYA
Mothers Football Club (MFC) triumphed over Gopabandhu Youth Association (GYA) 3-0 in a match of the 14th Gati Krushna Memorial Division B Football League in Bhubaneswar, Wednesday.
MFC dominated the match completely and scored through Sidhanta Das (11th), Biswajit Patnaik (27th) and Pritish Patnaik (66th).
Thursday’s game: Nabajyoti FC vs Bhabani FC.
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