By IANS,
Srinagar : The Santosh Trophy quarterfinal league match between hosts Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab in the national football championship was abandoned midway as angry spectators ran on to the field at the Bakshi Stadium here Saturday.
The match will now be completed Sunday.
The first half of the match ended without a result, but after Punjab scored a goal early in the second half, thousands of spectators broke barricades and stormed into the ground.
The match was abandoned by match commissioner Rakesh Bakshi.
Later the Disciplinary Committee of All India Football Federation met and heard both the captains and also the match commissioner and the referees’ inspector.
“It was decided that as per the rules of the championship the match will be played on June 8 for the remaining period of 22 minutes only tomorrow (Sunday) at 8 a.m.,” said Bashir Ahmad Shah, chief spokesman of 62nd Santosh Trophy here.
He said some local media persons were standing behind the J&K goalpost and the match referee asked them to vacate their positions as this was against the rules.
“Some of the local media persons became angry after the match referee asked them to vacate their positions behind the goalpost,” he said.
In the meantime, Sukhwinder Singh of Punjab netted a goal against hosts J&K in 68th minute.
“Immediately after this, the spectators, who had turned out in large numbers to support the hosts, ran into the field forcing the match referee to stop the game,” the spokesman said.
In the first match of the day, Services outplayed Kerala 3-0 and are now placed comfortably to qualify for the semifinals.
Services midfielder S. Raleng struck all three goals in the second half within a span of 25 minutes.
His hatrick was the fifth in the ongoing competition.