A meeting of the Dhanbad Football Association in progress in Dhanbad on Tuesday. (Gautam Dey)

Dhanbad, July 13: More than 160 players from 14 clubs across the district are set to test their soccer skills in the senior Dhanbad Football League scheduled at Rajendra Grounds in Nayabaazar from Thursday to August 12.

The players, however, have little inspiration to draw upon, besides watching their idols in the recently concluded Fifa World Cup. “The district lacks a football stadium,” said Jubair Alam, assistant secretary of Dhanbad Football Association.

Announcing the tournament fixture after a meting of the association, he called for immediate steps from the authorities concerned to give a new lease of life to the “beautiful game” in Dhanbad.

“It is sad to note that the stadium, which is part of the sports complex, is yet to be completed even two years after its construction work began,” said Alam, adding that football is on its deathbed in the district due to the state’s negligence.

The football stadium is being developed at a cost of around Rs 6 crore at Barwadda.

The league, earlier staged at the Railways Stadium, was shifted to the small and dingy stadium at Nayabaazar a couple of years ago, after the railways reserved the stadium for cricket matches, shutting the door on football.

Ajay Kumar Jha, coach of the Divisional Sports Association, Dhanbad, East Central Railway (ECR), told The Telegraph that the district, known as a football hub in the region, had failed to produce a single national level player of late.

Jha, who had represented Bihar at the national championships in 1984, added that drastic efforts were required to revive the glorious days of football in Dhanbad.

Sports officer of Dhanbad Sarvar Imam said, “Although the district football stadium was planned before the National Games, its construction is taking time as the Games schedule has been deferred.”

However, he added that district and block level games of the Subroto Cup would be organised in the district from July 26 to select players for the state level championship.