Pulwama fallout: Minerva Punjab FC moves high court

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, February 18

Football in Jammu & Kashmir has taken a major hit post Pulwama attack in which 40 jawans CRPF were martyred last Thursday.

Minerva Punjab FC has knocked on the doors of the Delhi High Court after three points were docked by the All-India Football Federation (AIFF) after the club refused to travel to Srinagar to play against hosts Real Kashmir FC on Sunday.

In its plea the Chandigarh-based team has said the forfeiture should be considered as force majeure and that the venue and the date of the match should be changed. The club has also asked the courts to stop AIFF from deducting three points for forfeiture.

The AIFF, meanwhile, in a statement said the club's faces more sanctions for the no-show on Sunday.

"With Hero I-League defending champions Minerva Punjab FC failing to turn up for their scheduled match against Real Kashmir FC on February 18, 2019 at TRC ground in Srinagar, the Match commissioner's report along with other relevant documents are being referred to the All India Football Federation's League Committee for further action as per the I-League regulations," the statement read.

The federation added that there was no threat to the players as adequate security was granted by the local authorities for the qualifying matches of the Santosh Trophy which was being held in Katra, which is approximately 36 km from Jammu which is still under curfew.

However, Minerva owner Ranjit Bajaj in a series of online posts criticised the move saying mere match commissioner report can't be basis of allaying fears of safety.

"I have to answer to the parents of all my team members @minervapunjabfc and I can't take responsibility for their lives as I don't think it's safe to travel their! @ILeagueOfficial @realkashmirfc with even today encounters going on one hour from Srinagar airport," he wrote on Twitter.

"How can you force people to play? It's a very personal decision and if someone wants security agency guarantees and that they match commissioner guarantee - sorry match commissioner's guarantee is not good enough for my foreigners to go against their embassiesand we can all see what is still happening one hour from airport," he said in an another online post.

EB seeks assurances

Meanwhile, another I-League club has written a letter seeking security assurances before they take on Real Kashmir in Srinagar on February 28. EB wrote to the AIFF on February 15 on questions that was raised mainly by the coaching staff and few of the players regarding safety measures. The AIFF has communicated them verbally that the match will be held on the same date and there was no reason for it to be postponed.

"They wrote to us four days back. We have told them that as far as our information is there the match will be held in Srinagar only," I-League CEO Sunando Dhar told The Tribune.

"We have been told that the place is good enough to play matches as it is perfectly alright in Srinagar," he added.