New Delhi: In a massive setback Tuesday for the country, world football governing body FIFA suspended India for ‘undue influence from third parties’. FIFA also said the U-17 Women’s World Cup ‘cannot currently be held in India as planned’. It also means a huge loss for Odisha as the Kalinga Stadium would have hosted all of India’s matches if the tournament would have been played in India. The U-17 Women’s World Cup was scheduled to be played October 11-30.
This is the first time the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has been banned by FIFA in its 85 year history. The world body said there have been ‘flagrant violations of the FIFA Statutes’.
“The Bureau of the FIFA Council has unanimously decided to suspend the All India Football Federation (AIFF) with immediate effect due to undue influence from third parties, which constitutes a serious violation of the FIFA Statutes,” FIFA said in a statement.
The Bureau of the FIFA Council said the lifting of the suspension will be subject to repealing of the Committee of Administrators’ (CoA) mandate in full. In a statement, FIFA also said it wants the AIFF administration to ‘be fully in charge of the AIFF’s daily affairs’.
“The suspension will be lifted once an order to set up a committee of administrators to assume the powers of the AIFF executive committee has been repealed and the AIFF administration regains full control of the AIFF’s daily affairs,” the FIFA statement said.
“The suspension means that the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2022, scheduled to take place in India on 11-30 October 2022, cannot currently be held as planned. FIFA is assessing the next steps with regard to the tournament and will refer the matter to the Bureau of the Council if and when necessary.
A ban on India has been on the cards since the Supreme Court removed Praful Patel as AIFF president May 18 for not holding elections, due in December 2020.
The court had appointed a three-member Committee of Administrators (CoA), headed by former apex court judge AR Dave, to manage the affairs of the national federation.
The CoA, which has former Chief Election Commissioner of India SY Quraishi and ex India captain Bhaskar Ganguly as other members, also had to frame its constitution in line with the National Sports Code and model guidelines.
The Bureau of the FIFA Council decided that upon lifting of the suspension, the AIFF constitution will have to be revised in accordance with the requirements of the FIFA and the AFC and to be approved by the AIFF general assembly without interference from any third party.
The FIFA, ‘concurrently’, wants an ‘independent electoral committee to be elected by the AIFF general assembly to run the elections of a new executive committee’. It also said the AIFF must ‘carry out the upcoming electoral process as per the statutory requirements and to hold its elections based on the pre-existing membership of the AIFF (i.e. state associations only).
As per the FIFA move and with the AIFF losing all membership rights until further notice, the Indian clubs and representatives (players, referees, officials) will no longer be entitled to take part in international matches until the suspension is lifted.
“This also means neither the AIFF nor any of its members or officials may benefit from any development programmes, courses or training from FIFA and/or the AFC,” the world body said in its detailed statement.
FIFA has never allowed third party interference in the affairs of its member units whether by the court or the government. It has set up ‘Normalisation’ committees in various countries in cases similar to India.
FIFA, though, has kept a window open for India. It said that it is in touch with the sports ministry on the issue.
“FIFA is in constant constructive contact with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in India. FIFA is hopeful that a positive outcome to the case may still be achieved,” it said.
Following the ban, the fate of the AIFF elections, to be held August 28 on the orders of the Supreme Court is not yet known. The poll process began August 13 as the top court approved the time-line prepared by the Committee of Administrators (CoA).
India’s football fraternity is hoping that a last-minute solution will salvage the FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup when the Supreme Court hears the matter Wednesday.
The Sports Ministry had filed an application in the Supreme Court, seeking a modification to its August 5 order that allowed 36 eminent players to vote in the AIFF elections on the grounds that the world body was not in favour of ‘individual membership’ in the AIFF.
According to sources, FIFA re-iterated its stand Monday to the Sports Ministry and issued the statement to ban India after that (around 10pm Swiss local time; wee hours Tuesday in India).