Shortage of regulation football grounds hampers young players in Hyderabad

A severe shortage of regulation-sized football grounds in Hyderabad has left young local players struggling to adapt to full-sized pitches during recent selection trials conducted by the Telangana Football Association (TFA). Aspiring players from neighborhoods like Sun City in Bandlaguda and Alwal are forced to train almost exclusively on small artificial five-a-side and seven-a-side turfs, leaving them unprepared for the physical demands and pace of standard 90-minute matches.

During the recent TFA selection trials, 17-year-old player Mohammed Munzir from Sun City, Bandlaguda, stepped onto a regulation-sized football field for the first time in his life. Munzir, who had previously only trained on small commercial turfs, noted that the size of the ground, the running, the positioning, and the pace of the game were completely different. While traditional grounds like Gymkhana and Barkas exist, they are located 15 to 20 kilometers away from his home, making regular travel impractical. Another local ground at Vijayanagar Colony has a hard mud surface unsuitable for proper training.

Similarly, 15-year-old K Jayanth Ravi from Alwal has been forced to train on a small local football turf every evening after school because there is no proper full-sized ground in his vicinity.

TFA Secretary Ganpathi Phalguna stated that the shortage of grounds has also made organizing competitive leagues extremely difficult. The TFA has been forced to conduct many of its league matches at Sreenidhi or even host tournaments outside of Hyderabad because major venues like the Gymkhana grounds and Lal Bahadur Stadium are frequently unavailable due to private bookings and non-sporting functions. Phalguna acknowledged that players who train on small grounds naturally struggle physically when expected to play 90-minute matches on full-sized pitches.

Local club administrators have also criticized the current state of competitive football in the city. K Srikanth Chakravarthy, secretary of the Tarnaka Football Club, pointed out that the current division league features only 10 teams and stretches over nearly six months, yet each team plays just five or six matches. He suggested that the TFA should collaborate with private schools in Hyderabad to utilize their football grounds for league matches, similar to partnerships seen in cricket.

Former national players and veterans, including former India captain Shabbir Ali and Hyderabad Globe Football Club's Syed Sadi Aliuddin, emphasized the urgent need for regular maintenance of traditional venues such as the Goshamahal Police Stadium, City College Old Boys Ground, and Barkas Ground. They noted that the disappearance and lack of availability of these historic grounds have contributed to the decline of football standards in Hyderabad.