Poor lighting in Sugathadhasa stadium - a major blow

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Male', MALDIVES - SAFF championship 2008 co-hosts Sri Lanka now faces a hard time answering the questions of how well they are prepared to host one of the biggest football event of the region. This is the first time in tournament’s five year history that two nations host the event.

Early in the tournament Sri Lanka, one of the top nations in world cricket, hits a major blow when the first game of group B between Bangladesh and Bhutan was forced to be stopped for more than fifteen minutes due to no lighting in the stadium.

The Sri Lankan Football Federation didn’t switch on the lighting system in the stadium even when players of both the sides had a hard time to play around in the dark environment. Then match referee signaled to stop the game after discussion with his assistants and both Bangladesh and Bhutan players got more than fifteen minutes to rest their legs.

Officials from both team’s bench showed frustration towards the organizers and the match resumed with a lighting believed to be at the minimum standard to hold an AFC licensed course.

There are also reports of poor advertising of the tournament in Colombo and surrounding areas.

The opening ceremony of this year’s SAFF championship was held in Male’, Maldives last night and the final match will be played in Colombo. But with the type of lighting provided in the Sugathadhasa stadium today, it is obvious the finalists will not be very happy to risk the game.

At the moment there is no comment from tournament organizer, World Sports Group, about the condition in Colombo. But some believed they must review the situation well before the final match.