‘Ground’ reality: In era of turf, UP training on grass!
According to a source close to the Catalan club, the Brazilian striker revealed he is set to leave the Spanish side for Paris prospect
Neymar informed his teammates he is leaving Barcelona, a club spokesperson confirmed, as his potential world record move to Paris Saint-Germain moved a step closer.
“The player came to train as scheduled and announced to his teammates that he is leaving,” said the source.
“The coach has given him permission to not train and to manage resolving his future.”
Speculation over the 25-yearold’s future has dominated the first few weeks of new Barca boss Ernesto Valverde’s reign with PSG reportedly willing to pay Neymar’s 222 million euro (USD 260 million) buyout clause.
Such a fee would smash the current record £89.3 million (USD 111 million, 105.2 million euros) Manchester United paid for Paul Pogba last year.
Neymar arrived back in Barcelona on Tuesday from a fleeting promotional tour to China.
He turned up for training at 9am local time (0700GMT), but left less than an hour later.
Presuming both clubs don’t come to a late agreement, the buyout clause would have to be paid to Barcelona via Spain’s La Liga to free the player from the contract he signed last year and runs until 2021.
However, La Liga president Javier Tebas has threatened not to accept PSG’s money over what he perceives as a failure on the French side’s part to comply with UEFA’s financial fair play rules (FFP).
Clubs can be sanctioned by UEFA for making a loss of more than 30 million euros over a three-year period. “We will not accept this money from a club like PSG,” Tebas told Madrid sports daily AS on Wednesday.
“Especially when this club is infringing rules and laws.”
Barcelona have also threatened to report PSG to UEFA over any potential breach of FFP.
PSG have already been fined and saw their Champions League squad limited by UEFA for breaches of FFP in 2014.
The player came to train as scheduled and announced to his teammates that he is leaving.
Winning the Champions League for a first time is the dream driving PSG’s owners Oryx Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) to fund a deal that could herald the start of a new era at the elite level of European football. Since QSI’s takeover in 2011, PSG have failed to make it beyond the quarter-final stage in recent seasons - most notably blowing a 4-0 first leg lead to lose 6-1 to a Neymarinspired Barcelona in the last 16 of last season’s competition in March.
Prising Neymar from the grip of Barca would truly announce PSG’s presence as a contender
India might be the world champions at junior level, but many of the government-run hockey academies still lack proper facilities.
Trainees at the Uttar Pradesh state government-run hostel in Lucknow usually practice on the grass turf even though the modern game is being played on artificial turf.
Housed at the KD Singh Babu Stadium, players in the age group of 14 to 20 get an opportunity to play on artificial surface only on weekends or during the state coaching camps.
The players have to travel 20km a day to avail modern facilities at other venues. “Many a time, we have to spend money from our own pocket,” said one of the players on condition of anonymity.
The players, it is learnt, often pool in prize money won in competitions, and use it for local travelling.
“Since we want to play, it doesn’t matter if we have to spend some money from our own pocket,” said another player.
There are over 60 trainees, including 20 girls, in the hostel. Since all national level competitions are held on artificial turf, training on grass surface is deterring the development of skills.
Former national coach MK Kaushik feels players should begin training on artificial surface right from an early age. “It helps in improving basic skills and lays a solid foundation,” he says.
Although the hostel for hockey was set up in early 1980s and the trainees get sports kit and education, the authorities have not felt it important to lay an artificial surface.
RP Singh, Director Sports at UP government, however, feels it isn’t a big issue. “There are three artificial turfs in Lucknow. The players get the best of facilities at the hostel. Moreover, traveling from one venue to another doesn’t take much time.”
There was a proposal to build hostel facilities at the newly-constructed hockey complex --- Padamshree Mohammed Shahid Stadium.
However, it has been over eight months and not a brick has been laid. “The proposal has been cleared and the work will start soon,” Singh assures.
Singh said adequate modern facilities are being planned for the grassroots level in the state. “We have plans to set up five-aside turf at Agra. New turf will soon come up in Gorakhpur. The government has also constructed hockey turf in Jhansi and Etawah. There are plans to construct more across the state,” he said.
A proposal to shift hockey players to Jhansi and Etawah from Lucknow is also in the pipeline. Till then the budding players will continue to spend their own money to play on the turf.
We will not accept this money from a club like Paris Saint Germain. Especially when this club is infringing rules and laws.