NEW DELHI: Ever heard of a nine-member football team taking on a full-strength side of 11 from the start? That is exactly what happened on Monday, during Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) in Guwahati.
Delhi played with nine players against Odisha in the U-21 girls’ section, ultimately losing 10-0. The Delhi team had only nine members, without a single substitute. Odisha had their full quota of 11 players and seven substitutes.
The match, played at NS football ground, saw Odisha score six in the first half before adding another four post the breather. Deepa Nayak scored a hat-trick while Susmita Tanty added a brace for the coastal state.
FIFA rules state that “A match may not start if either team consists of fewer than seven players”. While the referee was technically not wrong in letting the match take place, such a scenario actually coming to pass is quite rare.
According to SR Sawoo, Chef de Mission of the Delhi contingent, this happened after the entire team could not reach the location on time. “This happened because the dates clashed with All India University Games in Bhubaneswar. The entire team was participating there. Only ten could board the flight. One got injured in the morning of the match. Hence only nine could take to the field,” he claimed.
As per KIYG’s schedule, Delhi is set to play their second match on Tuesday. Sawoo assured that the same will not be repeated again. “The entire team has now arrived. We will field a full-strength team from Tuesday.”
Delhi Football president Shaji Prabhakaran was also asked about this issue. He was not pleased with the development, but said that the event is not under their jurisdiction.
“The state government’s education department is handling the Delhi team. We were not aware of the situation. This will hurt Delhi’s footballing image.” While the Sports Ministry has billed the event as the biggest youth sports festival in the country, such incidents will not help the credibility of the competition. Haryana scooped up as many as 12 gold on Monday, Day 4 of KIYG, to surge past Maharashtra and top the medal table.