HYDERABAD, Feb 24: The delay in the decision as to which department will assume administrative control of board stadium, Latifabad, would affect the holding of preliminary round matches of 53rd National Hockey Championship at the same ground scheduled from March 18.

On the other hand the District Hockey Association (DHA) officials who have to organize the event, are not satisfied with the ongoing renovation work at the stadium.

The DHA which recently organized Hyderabad Inter- club hockey championship at the same stadium said the decision regarding administrative control and question of costs remained unresolved so far despite the directive of Director General Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Brigadier Mohammad Arif Siddiqui, who visited the ground on Jan 29.

Back grill and goal posts have been fixed in the stadium while two more sprinklers are installed in light of DG’s directive to the contractor.

“Quality of goalposts remained questionable as its wood was below par and had developed cracks,” DHA president Nadeem Kaimkhani told Dawn on Friday.

Organising Secretary of the 53rd National Hockey Championship Iftikharuddin said that “if we fail to ensure these arrangements at the venue in time, it would bring a bad name to the city.

“We need time for organising camp for our team and holding trials so that Hyderabad region team could perform well in the preliminary round matches.”

DHA president maintained that an amount of Rs1.6 million is to be spent on holding of National Hockey Championship but since the question of ground’s control remained unresolved DHA officials could not approach different companies for sponsoring the event.