Report: Congress threatens to disrupt ISL in Goa

The Indian top flight is set to begin on November 20.

The Indian Super League (ISL) season is set to begin in less than a fortnight from now. However, it has been hit with an unforeseen setback.

Goa will be the venue to host Indian football's top flight, but locals have been irked about how the entire logistical process has been setup. Unlike in other seasons, this time all the logistics contracts have been given to an external agency and no work has been handed to local vendors in Goa.

As a result, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) General Secretary Sankalp Amonkar has demanded a change to the procedure or warned that the entire completion could be disrupted. He’s alleged that the entire logistics contract has been handed to a Bengaluru-based agency, leaving local vendors and suppliers with nothing.

“In the COVID pandemic, it was duty of the government to provide business to locals. ISL is one such big tournament, which would have helped local vendors and contractors to earn their livelihood. However, the government awarded contract to non-Goan firm,” he told the Herald.

It is being demanded that contracts, which includes those for providing transport to carry the teams from hotels to grounds and vice-versa, hotel accommodation, ground staff, security, electrical items and all essentials, be handed to local firms – who have fallen on hard times due to the COVID-19 outbreak around the country impacting their business.

“We give four days time to the government to terminate all the contracts issued to outsiders and give preference to locals. Failure to do so, would force Congress to disrupt the entire ISL tournament. We won’t let any matches take place,” Amonkar added.

The GPCC functionary also said that all ISL-related activities, including pre-season training for the teams will be disrupted unless changes are made.

The ISL is set to be taken place with strict restrictions on each squad this season, with every single team being part of a bio-bubble which will not allow them to leave their hotels or interact with anyone outside of their own squad. The league will take place across three venues in Goa.

The first match will see ATK Mohun Bagan face Kerala Blasters on November 20, but it remains to be seen how the situation pans out and whether either side will relent from their stance.  

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