Tsirang Sports Association through Dzongkhag Tshogdu (DT) will write to Bhutan Football Federation (BFF), seeking funds for the maintenance of additional facilities around the artificial football turf ground.
This was endorsed in the recent DT session. The General Secretary of dzongkhag sports association shared in the house that during the annual general meeting of Bhutan Olympic Committee (BOC), held recently in Paro, he tabled the issue on transferring ownership of the artificial turf ground. However, he was informed by the BOC officials that this is impossible “because the artificial turf was laid with funds from FIFA unlike ones in Monggar and Phuentshogling which were funded by BOC.”
The General Secretary, Wangchuk added that BOC officials told him that renovation of the football ground in future will be done by BFF. “We were also told that the dzongkhag will not be in position to renovate the facility. So the ownership of the ground will remain with BFF.” The federation not playing active role in managing other additional amenities: pavilion and restrooms is another issue that bothers the sports association.
“If BFF could allocate some funds from the fees they charge for using artificial turf ground, we can spend the fund to manage wastes and other facilities such as lighting,” said Beda Moni Chamlagai, Deputy Chairperson of Dzongkhag Tshogdu.
The two-year-old artificial turf was constructed at a cost of Nu 50m and was funded by FIFA. Today BFF is charging Nu 3,000 per match for male teams while for female teams, it’s free of cost.
