Bangalore Football Stadium, home of I-League leaders Bengaluru FC, is all set for renovations starting from next month. This is in fact, in preparation for the U-17 FIFA World Cup in 2017. To have the stadium upgraded to world class standards is a magnificent notion. But it comes at a price. As the stadium will not be available, the consequences are quite dire.

The Bangalore District Football Association (BDFA) Super and A division leagues are now hanging in the balance as a result of this development. Over 400 local teams including HAL and BEML have had their matches postponed or cancelled. The Madras Engineers Group (MEG) grounds were seen as a possible alternative, but it was ruled out due to reservations raised by the Army on security grounds.

Claiming a lack of alternate grounds for the matches to be conducted in, the respective leagues have been put on hold. It comes as a huge problem for the owners of the clubs as they don’t know whether to continue with their training schedules or not. The owners have also expressed their frustration to the Karnataka State Football Association (KSFA) about the negligence over the lower football leagues in the state.

The owners revealed to The Times of India that the players were on a one or two year contract and that they have to honour that commitment regardless of whether the league functions or not. The owners also explained that the players were currently being paid a stipend and hoped for the situation to improve.

It is also learnt that a MoU between the Football Association and the Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports is yet to be signed. However no development is expected in this regard till the National elections reach a conclusion.

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