Football: 'Dangerous' Pitch Scuppers China Manchester Derby

BEIJING, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th july,2016) - Manchester United's showpiece pre-season derby against Manchester City was cancelled just hours before kick-off Monday because the Beijing pitch was "too dangerous" for players. Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany said club staff had been working to get the game on after days of heavy rain in the Chinese capital, but had been defeated. "We had our groundsman working for 10 days on the pitch, but the conditions were just too dangerous for the players," said Kompany Monday on the club's website.

"The rain has made it totally unsafe to play on this pitch," added Manchester City CEO Ferran Soriano in a statement.

Organisers of the International Challenge Cup tournament, which also features Borussia Dortmund, confirmed the match had been called off on grounds of player safety. "The conditions experienced in Beijing on July 19 and July 20 were reported as being some of the most extreme weather conditions the capital of China has experienced in recent history," said a statement from the organisers.