It's hard to believe, but I-League champions and one of the most prominent Indian football sides, Bengaluru FC (BFC), have been training for months..or probably years, amid King Cobras! Yes, that's what the current condition is of the Bangalore Football Stadium, just opposite to Garuda Mall.
According to a Times of India report, the stadium, owned by the Karnataka State Football Association (KSFA), is being steadily starting to be the home of snakes. The stadium is also used to host the local Bangalore District Football Association (BDFA) matches, and also is the office for the BFC staff.
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"Some of these snakes were 10-12ft long. We killed a few of them but there are plenty more for sure," says a stadium employee to the Indian publication. He also adds that along with a colleague, he has killed at least three king cobras in the stadium.
The King Cobras have found shelter in the bushes at the extreme ends of the field...just behind the corner flags! While the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) workers have been alerted, a BDFA official has claimed that the state body has agreed to clean the venue, where Bengaluru FC played their home matches during their debut I-League season in 2013-14.
"The organisers are scared to send their ball boys to get the ball from the bushes, especially the area between the northern and western stands as there are a lot of snakes. What if the kids get bitten by a snake?" former players who have practiced at the stadium, have said.
"We heard that efforts of BDFA officials to get the area cleaned also didn't work as labourers were not ready to take the risk. BDFA needs the help of BBMP workers and even wildlife experts to clear the area of snakes," they added.
