I-League 2017: Floodlight problem at Bambolim Stadium halts Indian Arrows vs Minerva Punjab game

What's the story?

The I-League clash between Indian Arrows and Minerva Punjab FC witnessed a major logistical issue on the part of the I-League officials. The floodlights at the Bambolim Stadium went off just a couple minutes after kick-off and play was halted by the referee.

In case you didn't know...

The Bambolim Stadium or the GMC Athletic Stadium is the home ground for the AIFF's Arrows project for their first two I-League matches. Under the project, a majority of India's U-17 World Cup players have been commissioned to play under the name, 'Indian Arrows' in the I-League 2017-18 season.

The Goa ground was chosen due to the unavailability of the Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi.

The heart of the matter

The Arrows faced Minerva Punjab FC in the second round of the I-League after surprising everyone with their 3-0 win over Chennai City FC in their debut fixture. After the match was kicked-off by the referee in-charge, within a couple of minutes, the floodlights of the stadium suddenly went off. The referee then proceeded to stop the match and consulted the match officials regarding the floodlight situation.

During this time, the players started kicking around the ball as they waited for the game to be restarted. After a duration of about 10 minutes, the floodlights were back on and the referee resumed the game.

The Indian Arrows put on a spirited showing against the Minervans but went down 2-0 as the Punjab side climbed to the top of the I-League standings.

What's next?

Indian Arrows will now return to Delhi having played two home matches in Goa and will take on Minerva again in the return fixture in Ludhiana, Punjab on 18 December 2017.

Author's take

The stadium authorities ought to be better equipped at handling such unexpected issues as a stoppage of a game in the country's top league portrays a negative picture of all the parties involved.