Ministry files petition citing sports code overreach

Vinayak Padmadeo

New Delhi, August 10

It will take some more time to untangle the mess in the All-India Football Federation (AIFF) as the Sports Ministry and the Committee of Administrators (CoA) have filed separate petitions in the Supreme Court.

The Ministry has filed a review petition as it fears that India’s hosting rights of the U-17 Women’s World Cup (to be held in October) could be taken away by FIFA, which has threatened to suspend AIFF for violation of its charter in the new constitution.

The Ministry raised several objections to the new constitution, contending that some of the clauses go beyond the scope of the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011.

Some of the major objections are: disqualification of a politician or a bureaucrat; holding office in other sports federations; application of age and tenure guidelines on every member of the elected executive body and giving voting rights to associate members.

‘Patel orchestrated

ban letter’

The CoA, in response to this petition, has filed contempt proceedings against former AIFF president Praful Patel for trying to subvert the entire process.

The CoA has alleged that Patel, as a FIFA council member, played a major role in orchestrating the letter that threatened the ban on AIFF.

“The evidence enclosed with this Contempt Petition would show that Mr Praful Patel who had been removed as President of the AIFF has consistently abused his position as Council Member of FIFA to orchestrate a campaign among the State Associations to undermine the various steps taken by this Hon’ble Court for the betterment of football, including having footballers involved in governance and administration,” the CoA said.

“To utmost shock, Mr Praful Patel, exPresident of AIFF, conducted a meeting of the 35 Intervening Member Associations with the express purpose of interfering with the proceedings of this Hon’ble Court and in the said meeting he has impliedly admitted to having arranged for the 05.08.2022 letter from FIFA-AFC. The transcripts of this meeting, which was conducted over Zoom at 11 am has been shared with the CoA, and in full interest of transparency and accountability, the same is being shared with this Hon’ble Court. Mr Praful Patel with the State Associations clearly shows the foul intention to interfere and obstruct the elections that are to be held as per the timeline and direction of this Hon’ble Court,” it added.