'Playing football is costly in Kandy'

Kandy Association Football League "A & B" football competition 2009/10 sponsored by Sri Lanka Telecom will be worked off shortly at the Bogambara Stadium after the rains end.

In the "A" division there will be fourteen teams, grouped into two.

In the "A" group Golden Stars, Golden, Play Grounds, Madiyamalanka, Sun Rise, Unicorn and Manchester. In the "B" Hyline, Augustawatte Youth, Sissu, Kennedy, Kandy York, Green Park and Hanthana United.

In the "B" division also there will be same number of teams. "A" Mahaweli, Peradeniya University, Sun Shine, Golden Stars, In the "B", Kandy York "B", Mavilmada Havelocks, Sunrise, In the "B" will be Postal, Nawa Lanka, Reliance, Senkadagala Youth, Hy Line "B, Sissu "B: and Golden Wings "B".

The competition will be played under the distinguished patronage of Chairperson of the Sri Lanka Telecom Ms Leisha de Silva Chandrasena, The Chairman of the Management Committee of the FFSL Manilal Fernando too will grace the occasion along with CEO Chrysantha Perera.

The winning team will receive Rs. 100,000 in the "A" division and the second placed team Rs. 50,000, in the "B division it will be Rs. 50,000 and Rs. 25,000. Referees from the Kandy Football Referees Association will be the match officials.

Secretary General of the Kandy League Hafiz Marikar told the Daily News Football is perhaps one of the most popular sport in the world, which was introduced to us by the Europeans.

From the early years of barefoot competition to the present age of sophisticated football, Kandy Association Football League which is nearing ninety years has played a vital role in its growth.

In the good old days most of the Kandy's football clubs were run by local Muslim businessmen.

Today football is one of the most expensive games in Kandy, where for a match the League needs nearly Rs. 12,000 for the Ground, Dressing Room and Match Official's fees. In the good old days when the Bogambara ground was under the Municipal Council a match was played for less then Rs. 1,000, today it is eleven times more.