CHENNAI: Two days after Express highlighted how the local players were unable to use a Corporation football ground as it was being controlled by a powerful local resident, the Corporation of Chennai (CoC) officials said they had managed to reach a compromise between groups of locals residents.
The officials said the two groups in the area have now agreed to use the ground in rotation. While one group would use it in the morning, another would do so in the evening. The football ground at Samanthipoo Colony, Vyasarpadi, which is known for the sequences in films like Aadukalam and Madras that were shot here, remained out of bounds even a year after the CoC spent `1 crore of tax payers’ money to renovate it.
The report titled “Football players in North Chennai paying the price for official apathy” on December 18 highlighted the agony of local football players who were unable to use the ground as it was under the control of a powerful local resident. The ground had earlier produced many players who went on to represent the country in international matches.
A Saravanan, sports officer, CoC, told Express on Tuesday that the problem was over two groups fighting over who could play in the ground and one group had taken control of it. “On Tuesday, we called both the groups and negotiated between them. Both the rivals reached a compromise and agreed to practice at different times,” he said. While one group would practice in the morning, another would practice in the evening.
However, some locals were unhappy with the compromise. Being a public ground, they felt anyone must be allowed to practice at anytime.