Goof-ups are part and parcel of any sporting event. The only thing that varies is the degree of silliness. That's why it was not exactly surprising to see two players from the same team wearing jerseys bearing the same numbers (No 9 in this case)
While this can be entertaining for some folks, it’s the referees who are left in a lurch, as they can be left confused while making notes of goals, fouls and cards issued during the course of a match.u00a0
Don Bosco, Matunga’s, Pierre Noronha and Aidan Da’Costa sported No 9 on their jerseys during their Mumbai Schools Sports Association (MSSA) Ahmed Sailor U-16 inter-school hockey final against Children’s Academy (Malad) at the MHA-Mahindra Stadium at Churchgate u00a0yesterday.
ADVERTISEMENT
When told about this discrepancy, referee Arnold Xavier said: “Before the start of the match, I told the Bosco coach to ensure that two players do not enter the field wearing the same jersey number. But they ignored my instructions.”
Although the referee could have asked Bosco to keep one of the boys on the bench, he said they were lenient when it came to such issues in inter-school matches.
Bosco coach Javed Sayed claimed the goof-up was a result of delay in arrival of a new set of jerseys.
MSSA hockey secretary Sarah Alphonso though blamed the referee for failing to spot the error on the field.
This fiasco apart, the defending champions pulled off a 3-2 win through goals from -- Bryce Miranda, Rosenberg Gabriel and Keegan D’Souza. Sagar Dihora and Jay Agarwal scored the Malad team. In the third place match, St Stanislaus (Bandra) beat Our Lady of Dolours 2-1.u00a0
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
