Mumbai losing international matches due lack of infrastructure

Mumbai, Sep 3 (UNI) Alan Durante, senior advisor to Mahindra and Mahindra, the sponsors of the Mahindra Mumbai football league, today admitted that the city lacks the basic infrastructure to hold international matches and unless that is addressed no top class football club will come to the city.

Durante was speaking at a press conference to announce the 2007 Mumbai Elite football league, kicking off from September 5, wherein the top 17 clubs of the city will vie for the Hardwood League trophy.

The conference was also addressed by the presenters of the Mumbai leagues (a total of eight divisions for men and one for women) Sanjeev Saran of Saran Presents, and the secretary of the Mumbai District Football Association (MDFA) Commander Kehar Singh (Retd).

It was informed that the defending champion and runner-up of last year Mahindra United and Air India have been seeded directly into the Elite Division Play-off league, while the remaining 15 teams have been divided into two groups. The top two teams from each group will join Mahindra United and Air India in the play-off league.

The six teams in the Play-off league will feature in a total of 15 matches and the top two teams will be declared as the winner and runner-up.

The league will end latest by the third week of October, it was announced on the occasion.

It was further announced that this year a number of initiatives have been taken to see that people flock to the Cooperage to soak in the atmosphere with free entry for all school and college students, contests for spectators, special awards for outstanding performances as well as a man of the match award for every match and the best forward, best defender, best mid-fielder, best goal keeper and the best player of the league awards are also to be given away.

However, the quantum of prize money has not been disclosed, as it has not been finalised yet, though it has been assured that it will be much higher than what it was last year.

On the occasion, two new sponsors for the leagues were also announced with Tiger Balm (Elder Pharmaceuticals) and Nature Valley.

UNI