Guwahati, April 29: It could well be the beginning of the end for the Guwahati B-division football league, feels the Guwahati Sports Association (GSA).
Last season, the event could not be held for want of a ground. This year, the GSA, which organises the meet, is faced with the problem of non-availability of participating teams, just before the kick-off.
“It is indeed a very sad situation and we really have no answers. We have the ground this year, but the teams are disinterested. The clubs have to co-operate or else the game will gradually die in the city,” a GSA official told The Telegraph, commenting on the spate of walkovers in the ongoing league. Young Star Club and West Guwahati Club won today’s matches.
The day’s proceedings, thankfully, passed off smoothly. In the first match, a solitary goal fired in the 65th-minute by Amal Das helped Young Star register their 1-0 win over Dakshin Guwahati in a keenly-contested encounter.
In the second match, West Guwahati beat Star Sporting 3-0. Mukunda Das gave West Guwahati a 1-0 lead in the fourth minute, while substitute Bolen Medhi pumped in two more goals in the 65th and 67th minutes. The league resumed yesterday after a three-day break because of Saturday’s Daler Mehndi Nite, with two walkovers — Nilachal Club and Narkasurjyoti Club conceding their matches to Royal Sports Club and Young Blue respectively.
Tomorrow, Ankurjyoti Club will meet Narakaurjyoti Sangha and Shantipur Athletic Club will take on Royal Sports Club.
So far, 11 B-division ties had been decided by walkovers since the league started on April 17. GSA’s recently-concluded C division league, too, met a similar fate, with 14 of its matches hit by walkovers. New Star had won the C division crown beating Wari United.
Altogether, there are 10 teams in both the divisions and the club officials admit that they cannot afford to take stern action as it might affect the future of the game in the city.
Last week, the GSA had convened a meeting of non-participating clubs, urging them to withdraw from the tournament so that the meet could be completed at the earliest.
