Goa Congress demands structural audit for unfit Fatorda Stadium

Earlier this year, many of tins sheets covering the roof of the spectator stands had blown off due to strong winds during the monsoon. These landed on the empty stands and also on the road leading to the stadium. The Congress has put the blame on state Sports Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar for a repair and maintenance scam which led to substandard work and now wants a structural audit before the ISL kicks-off next month.

"We demand that the government should immediately conduct a structural audit of the entire stadium and place the report before the public before the commencement of Indian Super League football matches," said state Congress chief Girish Chodankar. Meanwhile, Ajgaonkar denied such allegations and termed them baseless.

The Congress official also warned that the poor maintenance and shoddy work at the Fatorda Stadium might be dangerous for the fans during the ISL games. FC Goa’s first home match is scheduled on October 23 against Chennaiyin FC.

"The ISL tournament attracts almost 15 to 18 thousand spectators for the matches and the lives of the football fans have now come under a probable threat due to the recent incident wherein many tin sheets were blown away due to gusty winds, thus raising questions about the structural stability of the roof," said the official.