The fifth SAI F Football Championship co-host Sri Linka faces a hard time answering the questions of how well they arc pre-panxi to host one of the biggest football events of the region, accord ing to a Maldives website.

This is the first tune in tournament’s 11 year history that two nations, Sri Linka and Maldives, are hostuig the biennial meet.

Early in the tournament Sri Linka, one of the top nations in world cricket, received a major blow when the first game of Group B between Bangladesh and Bhutan was stopped for more than fifteen minutes due to no lights at the Sugathadasa Stadium.

The Sri Lankan Football Federation did not switch on the lighting system even when players of both sides were haring hard tunes to play in the dark. Then the referee had to signal to stop the game after discussion with his assistants and both Bangladesh and Bhutan players were forced to rest their legs for more than fifteen minutes

Officials from both bench showed frustration and die match resumed with the floodlights believed to be at die minimum standard even to hold an AFC licensed course.

There are also reports of poor advertising of the tournament in Colombo and surrounding areas.

The opening ceremony of this year's SAIT championship was held in Male, Maldives onTUesday and the final is slated for Colombo. But with the type of lights provided in the Sri Lankan capital on Wednesday, it is obvious the finalists would not be very happy to risk the game.

There was no comment from the tournament organiser, World Sports Group, about the condition in Colombo. But some believed they must review the situation well before the final match.