Agartala’s Umakanta ground turns into battlefield during football match, referee assaulted

Agartala, Sep 03, 2023, TRIPURA TIMES Desk

Agartala, Sept 03: In an unexpected incident the Umakanta mini stadium in Agartala turned into a battlefield as the players and supporters of Lalbahadur Club and Agiye Cholo Sangha got engaged in a clash during a football match on Sunday.

It was a match of the Chandra Memorial League organized by Tripura Football Association.

The incident began with the showing of a red card to a player. The situation turned tense amidst abusive behaviour from both team members and supporters. A Referee was physically assaulted in the incident. The chaos reached a point where bricks, stones, and water bottles were hurled onto the field. In the end, four referees were escorted off the field by the police for their safety.

As soon as the final whistle was blown by the Referee, a clash erupted between the supporters of both the teams on the field. Lalbahadur Club manager physically assaulted Assistant Referee Karthik Das. Some Lalbahadur club supporters allegedly breached the boundaries set by the Tripura Football Association (TFA) and confronted the referees.

In an attempt to restore order, TFA vice president Amit Deb and League Committee secretary Tapan Saha intervened in the matter. However, the unruly supporters verbally abused the referees, demanding answers for what they believed were missed penalty calls in favor of Lal Bahadur.

The unfortunate incident at Umakanta Maidan has cast a shadow over the prestigious Chandra Memorial League.

However, Agiye Chalo Sangha emerged victorious in the thrilling match, with the help of Jabedia Darlong’s lone goal which secured three crucial points for the team.