By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The world soccer body FIFA has come down heavily on the Meghalaya Football Association (MFA) for failing to install a proper drainage system along the ground where an artificial turf was laid recently.
The FIFA officials, who came for the inspection of the artificial turf at the Third Division Ground here, expressed unhappiness after seeing the MFA was yet to take any initiative to install a proper drainage system.
The FIFA had selected Meghalaya as one of the several Indian states for laying artificial turfs among other projects of the FIFA under its ‘Win in India with India’ programme.
“The MFA was supposed to install the drainage system as per the instruction of the FIFA representative Dr Eric Harrison,” FIFA Development Manager David Borja told reporters here on Friday.
Replying to a query, he said that the project is expected to be completed by October. “But we would like to see everything is put in place as per the requirements before handing over this project,” FIFA Development Manager said adding that the world soccer body would provide goal posts, corner flags and others equipments like tractors for the maintenance of the turf.
It may be recalled that during the visit on March 7 last, Dr Harrison had asked the MFA members and a senior Government official to install drainage system along the ground.
The senior government official had even assured the FIFA official that the steps would be taken to install the drainage system.