- Tuesday, March 11, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has urged FIFA, football’s international governing body, to revoke the suspension it slapped earlier this month on grounds of “undue influence from third parties”. The Indian football federation was disbanded by the country’s Supreme Court in May after it failed to hold elections for a long period of time.
The court formed a committee of administrators who were asked to supervise the body in the absence of its previous administrators besides forming a new constitution.
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On Monday (22), the apex court scrapped the committee and said the day-to-day management of Indian football would be handed back to the AIFF. The court made the move after the Indian government urged it to take the step so that the ban could be revoked and India could continue with some of its key international commitments such as the Under-17 Women’s World Cup scheduled in October.
The AIFF wrote to FIFA general secretary Fatma Samoura on Tuesday in which it apprised the world body of the Indian Supreme Court’s ruling, Reuters reported on Wednesday (24).
“We request the FIFA… to reconsider their decision of suspending the AlFF,” Sunando Dhar, AIFF’s acting general secretary, wrote in the letter.
“Since the conditions set out in your letter for lifting of the suspension stand satisfied, we request that an order to that effect be passed at the earliest for the AIFF to continue with the smooth running of football in India.”.
FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the AIFF letter.
India could still manage to host the women’s football event if the FIFA lifts the ban.
The elections of the AIFF, formerly led by FIFA Council member Praful Patel, were to be held by December 2020 but were delayed over amendments to its constitution.
The AIFF elections are scheduled in September with former Indian captain Bhaichung Bhutia one of the favourites to become the next president of the body.
