Friendship Cup Postponed

Organisers yesterday postponed the Friendship Cup football tournament due to the devastation created by Cyclone Sidr in the coastal areas of the country.

With the death toll already rising above 2,000 and millions becoming homeless after the storm tore through the south and southwest region of the country, National Sports Council (NSC) chairman and Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed, who is also the chief patron of the international tournament, has directed the organising committee to temporarily put off the meet. The 5-team tournament was scheduled to be held in Dhaka from November 28-December 10.

General Moeen has also asked the football fraternity of the country to stand beside the destitute.A five-member delegation yesterday met the NSC chairman at the Kurmitola Golf Club with reports of the preparation when general Moeen directed them to call off the event for the sake of the millions of distressed people.

However, he has assured the organisers that he will extend his full support to hold the meet once the situation improved, informed organising committee secretary Badal Roy after the meeting.

"We have to find a suitable time later to organise this," Badal said.

Malaysian Super League runners-up Perak FA, Nepal's Friends Club and Kolkata Mohammedan of India were due to join local sides Abahani and Mohammedan in the first international club tourney of the country in more than five years.

The foreign teams had but completed their preparations to come to Dhaka and even Perak coach Steve Darby had wanted to know the condition of the cyclone-hit areas, informed organising committee joint-secretary Fazlur Rahman Babul yesterday.

"May be these teams won't be available later but we look forward to hold the tournament at a convenient time," said Babul adding that they will soon announce a new date.