Tribune News Service
Satya Prakash
New Delhi, August 22
The Supreme Court today terminated the mandate of the Committee of Administrators (CoA) to manage the affairs of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to facilitate the revocation of the Indian football body’s suspension by FIFA and the return of the Under-17 Women’s World Cup to India.
I do not think that the new body that will be elected will stay in office for the entirety of its four-year period. It is my understanding that today’s order was to facilitate FIFA in order to get the U-17 Women’s World Cup back. After the World Cup, the constitution will again be up for discussion Ranjit Bajaj, Delhi FC owner
A Bench led by Justice DY Chandrachud said the day-to-day management of AIFF shall be managed by the AIFF acting secretary general.
It also extended the August 28 elections by one week to accommodate the changed electoral college and the filing of nominations in accordance with the new rules. Thirty six state/UT associations will elect 17 members to the AIFF Executive Council, which will co-opt six eminent players (four men and two women), to run the affairs of the Indian football body.
India was on August 14 suspended by FIFA for “undue influence from third parties” and stripped it of the right to host the Under-17 Women’s World Cup, to be held in October. FIFA maintained that AIFF’s suspension would be revoked once the order appointing the CoA to assume the powers of the AIFF Executive Committee was repealed. AIFF’s suspension came about after the court-appointed CoA sought contempt proceedings against former AIFF president Praful Patel and the office-bearers of seven other state associations.
Monday’s order came at the behest of the Centre. The Bench accepted the Solicitor General’s suggestion that administration be carried out by the secretary general, who was already there till the elections.
Noting that the CoA has already submitted the draft constitution together with the tabulated suggestions, the Bench appointed senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan and advocate Samar Bansal as the amici curiae in the matter.
Former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia told the Bench that India must undertake the SC-mandated reforms to ensure that the Indian men’s team would qualify for the World Cup in the future, even if it meant sacrificing the hosting right for the U-17 World Cup.
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