Local players denied basic facilities at Cooperage

MUMBAI: If football is about taking one step forward, then the ways in India are completely different.
For the Mumbai District Football Association's Elite Division matches, former I-League teams like Air India and ONGC, and Kenkre FC have been forced to do with a makeshift dressing room under the stands in Cooperage where there were no fans, light and worse - the teams had to cart their bags to the pitch to ensure they do not lose valuables.
Air India who played with Western Railway and drew their opening match, were bitter about the arrangements. Team manager Jacinto D'Silva said, "It is a shame that with a refurbished Cooperage, the Western India Football Association could not find an empty room for the teams."
Apparently all rooms at the Cooperage are unavailable till October 3 for different reasons.
ONGC who played with Kenkre on Sunday, faced the same problem. That they too drew their opening game was a mere coincidence. Manager Dharmesh Patel was aghast that they could not find a room when there are so many rooms available.
Jacinto says the dressing room is very important. "We are not playing some impromptu tournament. The fixtures were given out well in advance. If the ground did not have the rooms vacant, they could have informed the MDFA."
He also blamed the MDFA: "If the rooms were unavailable, why did the MDFA not postpone the games?" asks Jacinto. WIFA secretary Souter Vaz, argued that the arrangements were temporary. "Teams are complaining too much. It was matter of just a few days. Most of our rooms were occupied. We were having a state camp for Under-19 girls who will play in the national championships in Goa. Also, with the ISL 10 days away, Mumbai City FC have occupied two rooms. We were replacing furniture in some other rooms. Today we provided dressing rooms for both the teams but Mumbai FC, the I-League team from the city failed to turn up for their match," said Vaz.
MDFA executive committee member Conrad Pereira, also the coach of Mumbai Customs, said they were loathe to change the schedule as doing so had forced the league to last long. "This time we had requested the teams to adhere to the schedule so that the league gets over in time and does not take months," says Conrad, whose team got a walkover from Mumbai FC.