The latest hearing of the Supreme Court regarding the FIFA ban on All Indian Football Federation seems to be quite productive given that the Committee of Administrators has now been dissolved. The day-to-day management of Indian football has also been handed over to AIFF general secretary Sunando Dhar.
After a hearing on Monday, the Supreme Court decided to disband the three-member CoA that it had itself appointed in May to look after the affairs of football in India and manage the AIFF. It was one of the primary points of contention, and the presence of the CoA was viewed as ‘third party interference’ by the global football body, leading to the ban of Indian football.
In its oral order, the Supreme Court bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud said:
“The day-to-day management of AIFF shall be looked after by the AIFF administration led by the acting secretary general exclusively.”
India now seems to have satisfied the key criteria imposed by FIFA to lift the ban imposed on the country for violating its rules and statutes. The apex court in the country also added that ‘as a consequence, the CoA will cease to be in charge’ of the AIFF.
Elections to the AIFF, a matter which has been discussed and debated about for several months now and has been dragged on for too long, have also been pushed forward by one week from its originally scheduled August 28 date. The votes’ participating in the elections will now consist of representatives of the 36 members representing the various states and union territories across India.
FIFA had earlier written to Dhar, the acting general secretary of the AIFF, on August 15 that they will only lift the imposed ban on Indian football after the ‘repeal of the CoA mandate in full’ and once the AIFF administration is ‘fully in charge’ of its daily affairs.
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They had also mentioned that they aren’t ready to accept the decision made by CoA to allow former Indian internationals on the voters’ list for the upcoming elections, and it had become a key point of tussle between both bodies.
The Supreme Court has also maintained that the executive council of the AIFF will comprise 23 members, of whom 17 members – inclusive of the president, treasurer, and one vice-president – will be elected by the representatives of state associations and union territories.
