FIFA lifts suspension, India can host U-17 Women’s World Cup

Football Federation (AIFF), paving the country’s return to international football and the hosting of Fifa U-17 Women’s World Cup later this year. Fifa had suspended AIFF last week for “undue interference by a third party”, a first for the federation in its 85-year history. As a result of the suspension, the hosting rights of the U-17 Women’s World Cup were set aside. According to a letter from Fifa secretary general Fatma Samoura to AIFF’s acting general secretary Sunando Dhar, “The Bureau of the Council decided on 25 August 2022 to lift the suspension of the AIFF with immediate effect.” As a result, Samoura said, a copy of which is with TOI, the U-17 Women’s World Cup, scheduled to take place from October 11 to 30, can be held in India as planned. Fifa has reminded India that it now needs to fulfil more conditions to ensure that AIFF doesn’t get suspended again.

The decision was taken after Fifa received confirmation that the mandate of the committee of administrators (CoA), that was set up by the Supreme Court to assume the powers of the AIFF executive committee, had been terminated and that the AIFF administration had regained full control of the AIFF’s daily affairs,” the governing body for world football said in a statement. First, the AIFF constitution needs to be revised in accordance with the requirements of Fifa and the AFC. Second, the federation needs to carry out the upcoming electoral process as per the statutory requirement, which includes voting rights only to the state associations. The Supreme Court had removed voting rights previously given to 36 eminent players and confirmed that only state association representatives will form the electoral college and elect the next AIFF president. “As foreseen in