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Experts' take: Why Indian sports governance is in a mess

FIFA dropped a bomb last week, Indian football had no bunker to hide in. The world body found the way things are being run in India's administrative corridors as "serious violation of the FIFA Statutes" and pulled the shutter down on the All India Football Federation (AIFF), putting the 'suspended' label across its face. This effectively meant that, as things stood at that time, India would also lose hosting rights of the FIFA u-17 women's World Cup scheduled to be played from October 11-30 this year. It therefore wasn't a big surprise to learn that the Sports Ministry had moved an application in the Supreme Court seeking an end to the mandate of the Committee of Administrators (CoA), as demanded by FIFA. While banning the AIFF earlier this month FIFA had said that the women's age-group showpiece tournament "cannot currently be held in India as planned." FIFA's decision to take the extreme step was an example of the inevitability Indian sports and sportspersons had been fearing for some time. Like the hockey, judo, equestrian and table tennis federations, the AIFF too was put under a court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA), after the Supreme Court removed the AIFF office-bearers in May this year for failing to bring its Constitution in line with the 2011 National Sports Code and not holding elections that have been due since December 2020.

AIFF elections on September 2, nomination to be filed from Thursday

The Supreme Court on Monday terminated the Committee of Administrator (CoA), as demanded by the world governing body FIFA, and pushed back the AIFF election by a week.

AIFF Elections On September 2, Nominations To Be Filed From Thursday

The elections to the AIFF Executive Committee will be held on September 2 and aspiring candidates can file fresh nominations from August 25, the returning officer has announced. The Supreme Court on Monday terminated the Committee of Administrator (CoA), as demanded by the world governing body FIFA, and pushed back the AIFF election by a week. Hours after the SC order, returning officer Umesh Sinha issued a fresh notice, outlining the process afresh.

Substantial siphoning of AIFF funds by former management: CoA

Can't be taken lightly, sports ministry can take action as per law: CentreNEW DELHI: Before being disbanded, the committee of administrators (CoA) informed the Supreme Court that ongoing forensic audit of the All India Football Federation's (AIFF) accounts has prima facie revealed massive siphoning of funds by its previous management headed by former Union minister and NCP leader Praful Patel. The CoA's counsel Gopal Shankaranarayanan told a bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and AS Bopanna that the forensic audit of AIFF's accounts being conducted by Deloitte has found several financial irregularities. "In a preliminary report to the CoA, the forensic auditors have prima facie found substantial siphoning of funds by the previous administration," he said.