ISL 2016: Goa Police unable to provide security for FC Goa-FC Pune City match

Panaji: Goa Police will not be able to provide security for the Indian Super League (ISL) match between FC Goa and FC Pune City, which is scheduled to be held on October 8 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium at Fatorda. [caption id=“attachment_3038064” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Security would, however, be provided to the rest of the ISL matches at the stadium. Getty Images[/caption] “We have conveyed to the ISL organisers that we won’t be able to provide security for the match as we are pre-engaged with the preparations for the BRICS summit,” superintendent of police (south) Shekhar Prabhudesai told PTI on Thursday. He said the police machinery would be busy with mock drills and rehearsals which were being conducted in the run-up to the BRICS summit from October 15-16. The summit is expected to have the participation of heads of various nations, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Thus foolproof preparations are being made on the law and order front, he said. The ISL match between FC Goa and FC Pune City is likely to be a crowd-puller with the home team looking to bounce back after a loss to NorthEast United FC in the first match of the tournament. In the past, Goa Police had sent reminders to the FC Goa team for bill of Rs 3.80 crore which is yet to be paid. Prabhudesai, however, said the recent letter expressing inability to provide security for the match on October 8 has nothing to do with the pending bill. He said police security would be provided to the rest of the ISL matches at the stadium. A total of seven matches will be played in Goa, with the first match scheduled on October 8.