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The 10th National Football League schedule has started going haywire from the word go with the All India Football Federation postponing the three matches earlier slated to be played at the Salt Lake stadium in Kolkata from January 18-20.
Citing the West Bengal government's inability to make police arrangements for the matches due to a CII Partnership Summit, to be held at the same venue, AIFF president Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi said it is yet to be decided whether the matches would be shifted to alternative centres.
"The state government informed us of its helplessness only yesterday. We have already informed the telecast rights holder Zee Sports about the postponement," Dasmunshi told newspersons at the Salt Lake stadium.
''We are yet to decide if the matches can be shifted to venues like Goa or Chennai,'' he added.
On January 18, East Bengal were to take on Fransa-Pax, with Mohun Bagan scheduled to clash with JCT Mills the next day. Mohammedan Sporting and Salgaocar were slated to meet on January 20.
Dasmunshi said the AIFF would request ONGC to raise the sponsorship money to above Rupees seven crore, the amount it had paid last year.
''This year they will get more mileage, because of better coverage and telecast of more number of outings,'' he said.
He said the sponsorship deal hasn't been put in black and white yet due to bereavement in ONGC chairman Subir Raha's family.