New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the government to take proactive measures to ensure that the Under 17 Women’s World Cup was held in India as planned before football governing body FIFA suspended the country for “flagrant violations of FIFA Statutes”.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta — representing the Centre – told the apex court that the Indian government had already taken the matter up with the FIFA, and that there was some “breaking of ice”.
The top court then adjourned the matter till 22 August.
FIFA on Tuesday had suspended the All India football Federation (AIFF) and revoked its right to hold the U-17 championship from 11-30 October. This is the first time the AIFF has been banned by FIFA in its 85 year history, with the apex body complaining there had been “undue influence from third parties”.
During the hearing Wednesday, Mehta told the bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud, A.S. Bopanna and J.B. Pardiwala that India has already held two meetings with FIFA.
Posting the matter for Monday, the bench ordered: “We would impress upon UoI (Union of India) to take proactive role in the matter for holding the World Cup… so that lifting of ban on AIFF is facilitated.”
A ban on India has been on the cards since the Supreme Court removed Praful Patel as AIFF president on 18 May for not holding elections, due in December 2020.
The court appointed a three-member Committee of Administrators (CoA), headed by former apex court judge A.R. Dave, to manage the affairs of the national federation.
The CoA, which has former Chief Commissioner of India S.Y. Quraishi and ex-India captain Bhaskar Ganguly as members, also had to frame its constitution in line with the National Sports Code and model guidelines.
The process for the AIFF elections — scheduled on 28 August — began on 13 August as the top court approved the time-line prepared by the CoA.
The CoA appointed returning officers and published the electoral college for the elections, including 36 eminent players on the list.
But the sports ministry filed an application, seeking a modification to its order allowing the 36 players to vote in AIFF elections. It told the apex court that the world body was not in favour of “individual membership” in the AIFF.
The FIFA has never allowed third party interference in the affairs of its member units whether by the court or the government.
The Bureau of the FIFA Council also said that lifting the suspension would be subject to repealing the CoA’s mandate in full. FIFA said it wanted the AIFF administration to “be fully in charge of the AIFF’s daily affairs”.
FIFA has decided that upon lifting the suspension, the AIFF constitution would have to be revised in accordance with the requirements of the FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation — to be approved by the AIFF general assembly without interference from any third party.
The FIFA “concurrently” wanted 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 hold its elections based on the pre-existing membership of the AIFF (i.e state associations only)”.
With the AIFF losing all membership rights until further notice, Indian clubs and representatives (players, referees, officials) are no longer entitled to take part in international tournaments until the suspension is lifted.
With inputs from PTI
Also read: FIFA bans AIFF: Timeline of how Indian football faced ultimate embarrassment