Second division football club forfeits match, owner absconding

Kolkata, Feb 24: Pride Sports, a Madhya Pradesh-based club currently playing the second division league organised by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), has all but disbanded club operations, also giving a walkover to their opponents in their last group engagement on Friday. Uble to pay players and coach Paulo Pedro their salaries, the club’s owner left the outfit in the lurch by shirking responsibility and fleeing midway, it is learnt.

Pride Sports are rock-bottom in Group C of the second division without having registered any win from five matches conceded 13 goals in the process.

“The owner is absconding,” a source close the development told IANS on Friday. “They have pulled out of the competition and did not turn up for their last game,” the source added.

Pride Sports were supposed to play Fateh Hyderabad. In this eventuality, the Hyderabad outfit will be handed a 3-0 verdict along with three points.

In a letter recently to AIFF, Pride Sports coach Pedro exposed the club for not providing basic amenities like proper stay and food on top of non-payment of remunerations for him and his wards. The coach, in the letter, asked the Federation why teams without any pedigree are taken into the competition. IANS