CHENNAI: When Chennai last saw the Indian football team in action, it was in the twentieth century. For a while that run looked like ending, with the All India Football Federation planning a month-long camp and two international fixtures in the city, starting Friday. But all that has been cancelled after Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu gave them an exorbitant tariff for use of the stadium and its facilities.
“We have been talking to them for almost a month now,” AIFF secretary Kushal Das told Express. “We had also started maintenance work on the ground. Then three days ago, SDAT officials told us to stop the work citing that permission to use the stadium had not been granted then. Today (Wednesday) we got a letter which has mentioned some exorbitant rates.”
The camp and the matches will now be shifted to Mumbai. “This sort of an attitude by a governmental sports development authority, whose job is essentially to promote sports is sad and shameful,” Das added. SDAT officials confirmed that they had sent a letter to AIFF, but were yet to get a reply from them.