NEW DELHI: The India under-23 football team's tour to Britain for three matches, including two against Pakistan, was cancelled Friday as a fallout of the riots in some major cities in England where there is a heavy concentration of expats.
Organisers Touchsky Sports wanted to postpone the tour, but the All India Football Federation (AIFF) cancelled it due to pre-season training.
The first match of the tour against Pakistan, slated for September 3, was to be dedicated to two Pakistani boys who were killed during the riots in Birmingham.
"But the match cannot be held till the mourning period of 40 days is over. The organisers requested us to postpone the trip but the AIFF is also not in a position to do so since the final round of the Federation Cup starts September 17," an AIFF spokesperson told IANS.
The other two matches were against England U-23, Sept 6, in East London and Pakistan, Sept 9, in Glasgow.
The Indian team, captained by Renedy Singh, was scheduled to leave for England, Saturday night.