India vs Brazil — Accreditation chaos leaves journalists stranded a day before match in Kolkata

Brazil's Marquinhos during the press conference ahead of the international friendly against India. | Photo Credit: AFP

Hundreds of journalists were in for a surprise on Friday when they failed to get their accreditation cards for the India versus Brazil match at the Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday.

The application portal for media accreditation for both India vs Brazil and India vs Uruguay opened on September 19 with a one-week deadline. Accordingly, the approved journalists were asked to collect their cards at 4:30pm IST from the press conference room of the Salt Lake Stadium.

Several reporters got another mail around 8 am in the morning that claimed the cards can be collected at 9 am from the same venue. On-ground staff later clarified that they will be handed out in the evening only, leaving reporters confused.

READ | India vs Brazil — A battle for grit and survival in the shadow of Seleção in Kolkata

However, the cards did not arrive until 5 pm, transforming a room of patient journalists into that of irate individuals. Some tried to gherao the local organising committee members while several international journalists, including some from Brazil, smirked in disbelief.

“I usually cover cricket and this is one of the first times I am covering a football match this big. It has been utterly chaotic,” British influencer Davina Pindoria, who has travelled to India from London, said.

Sportstar reached out to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and District, who were handling the accreditation procedure, and the former clarified that it was a logistical blip.

“There has not been a major issue. The accreditation cards were printed in Mumbai but could not be put on a flight on Friday morning. As a result, they could not reach Kolkata in time but we have been assured that it will reach by 11 pm or midnight,’ a high-ranking AIFF official told this publication.

“In the meantime, we have also set up two printers at the Grand Hyatt Hotel and approved journalists can collect their passes tomorrow morning and attend the match.”

The international friendly between India and Brazil has seen heavy deployment of police around the stadium and the hotel where the Brazilian team is staying. Every vehicle entering the sporting venue is being scanned, and the team bus is being checked by sniffer dogs.