AFC Cup | Minerva FC granted permission to use Kalinga Stadium

SportsCafe Desk

BySportsCafe Desk, SportsCafe Editor

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After a long and controversial tussle with AIFF authorities, Minerva FC Punjab have been given the ‘go-ahead’ to utilise the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar to host only their first AFC Cup opening game next month. The 2017 I-League champions will go up against Manang Marshyangdi on May 1.

Indian football lovers were left shocked earlier this week when Minerva FC Punjab founder and owner Ranjit Bajaj took to Twitter to announce his decision to shut down the club. In a rather heartfelt rant on the social media site, Bajaj explained how AIFF’s bullish behavior had forced him to take such a drastic step. The Punjab-based franchise was denied on multiple occasions to host their AFC Cup opening match at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar by Odisha government authorities.

However, Bajaj held a meeting with top officials of the Odisha Sports Authority on April 11 in order to see if they would rethink their decision. Senior sports officials granted permission to Bajaj to host only the first home match on May 1.

"Minerva have been allowed to host its first home match on May 1 in Bhubaneswar. I am extremely grateful to Vishal Kumar Dev (Commissioner-cum-Secretary of Sports & Youth Services Department, Government of Odisha) and Vineel Krishna (Director, Sports & Youth Services Department, Government of Odisha) for allowing us to play here (Bhubaneswar). All the arrangements including flight tickets and hotel bookings of AFC officials are in place. It will also help us to escape any possible fines," Bajaj told Goal.com.

The 2017 I-League champions will play their AFC Cup opening tie against Manang Marshyangdi next month. Minerva must find an alternative venue to host the remaining two matches as renovations are scheduled to begin at the Kalinga Stadium next month month at the Kalinga for the FIFA U17 Women's World Cup next year.

Reports further stated that, the Punjab-based outfit are in talks with Goa FA so that they can hold their matches at the Bambolim Stadium and is also looking at other possible venues like the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati, Balewadi Stadium in Pune and the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.

The Chandigarh-based club started their AFC Cup campaign with a 0-0 draw against Indian Super League (ISL) side Chennaiyin FC and travel to Bangladesh to go up against Dhaka Abahani in their second fixture.

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