The inquiry revealed that the bank guarantee so received was not genuine and that the bank guarantee was never officially issued by the bank named therein.The bank guarantee was one of the mandatory requirements to be eligible to participate in the League, which was to be submitted within a specified timeline. The said timeline now stands elapsed and the mandatory requirement has not been fulfilled by the said club. In light of the same Hyderya’s participation in the League stands withdrawn with immediate effect.

Furthermore, the AIFF reserves its rights to initiate disciplinary proceedings against the club.

The AIFF will not be making any further statement on this matter.

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National level football is all set for a return to God’s own country, with the Kerala Government and the All India Football Federation agreeing upon terms

“This will act as a boon to football in the state,” Vijayan commented. “I am very happy to hear such tournaments are being planned to be hosted in Kerala. It has been a long time since we have had footballing action in the state, especially due to the pandemic. People are dying to watch live action.” Vijayan, nicknamed the ‘Black Buck’ during his playing days, stated.

As an initiative to popularise women’s football, the Government of Kerala, along with the AIFF and the Kerala Football Association (KFA), will host an International Football Tournament in Kochi in December, ahead of the Indian Women’s Team’s AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022 campaign. That comes in addition to hosting the final round of the Santosh Trophy and a series of other Grassroots and Coach Education initiatives.

“Gokulam Kerala will already play in the AFC Women’s Club Championship, and now the Kerala Government has also opened academies for women. I think hosting an International Women’s Tournament will further help inspire more women to take up the sport,” he said. “I am looking forward to it. Well done,” Vijayan maintained.

India international CK Vineeth also echoed the sentiments, saying that all the upcoming footballing activities like hosting the final Round of the Santosh Trophy, and AIFF and KFA’s support in organising Youth League and Golden Baby Leagues in the state, football in Kerala will receive a boost.

“Football in Kerala is already so popular. We have seen so many people throng to the stadiums. Now, with so many activities set to happen, all these aspiring players will get an avenue to pursue their dreams,” said Vineeth.

“I think with all the facilities and help coming in, it will give a huge motivation especially for the local men and women’s footballers,” he said.

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The Blue Tigers haven’t been able to get a practice field since their first match on September 2 and have been stuck in the team hotel since then. Though it looks decent from the surface, the heavy and wet underfoot conditions at the practice pitch made available to India at the Army Headquarters is extremely dangerous with almost the entire boot of the players being submerged in water the moment they take the field. With that injury risk, the team management is equally concerned and confused as to how to go about the situation.

After Thursday’s 1-1 stalemate, India will take on their neighbors Nepal in the second international friendly at the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Sunday. The competency to accelerate the recovery process, adapt the mind frame – all in an effort in uplifting the game makes the FIFA windows unusual. There’s not much time left barely some hours.

When to watch- September 5 (5.15pm IST)

Where to watch- Indian Football Team’s Facebook Page

Venue- Dasharath Stadium,Kathmandu

The game was a tough enough and Nepal were very well prepared. Including the moments where team India could have done better as a team, and there were moments where they did get better. The blues need to make sure that they have a strong mentality going into the second and not give anything to a team who is looking for something all the fit. Indian team needs to make sure that they use it to prepare for the SAFF Championship in good order.

The mood is positive and our boys are aware that they can do much better,” informs Head Coach Igor Stimac. “Of course, we are still short with the energy level because we are just at the end of the second week of preparation, and the legs are still heavy. But, they are looking forward to putting in a better performance,” he adds.

On match day plus one, i.e., on September 3 (Friday) efforts, and plans of the recovery-cum-practice session got cancelled owing to a downpour. “We are going to change a few things, and see if that can help us in terms of passing with more confidence, and getting forward easier,” Stimac informs.

The goal-scorer of the other day Anirudh Thapa was limping till the other night after having suffered a knock above his ankle. “But I am fine now,” assures Anirudh, who was part of the victorious India U-15 National Team winning the SAFF title in Kathmandu some years back.

“I have been working on my short sprints, especially my start. That allowed me to connect the ball ahead of my marker, and even goalkeeper Kiran-bhai (Kiran Limbu),” he explains. “We were much better in the second half in the first match and wished the match could have continued for some more time for us to find the winner. As it kicks off tomorrow (September 5), we look ahead to a continuation, and manner we played in the second half,” Anirudh quips.

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While some members attended the meeting physically at Football House, others joined the meeting via video conferencing. Senior Vice President Mr. Subrata Dutta, AIFF General Secretary Mr. Kushal Das, and a host of other members attended the meeting in person.

Leave of absence was granted to Vice-Presidents Mr. Subash Chopra, Mr. Larsing Ming, Mr. KMI Mather; and members — Mr. Gulab Chauhan and Mr. Jessiah Villavarayer.

Mr. Chirag Tanna, General Manager, FSDL attended the meeting as an invitee.

The Committee condoled the demise of former Olympians, footballers and administrators, and observed a minute’s silence bowing their heads as a mark of respect for the departed souls.

“Indian football will miss them as they were all stalwarts who inspired several generations and played such a huge role in scripting a golden age for Indian Football. May I put on record our gratitude, sympathy and condolences to all their families. Our prayers are always with them, and we pray for the departed souls to rest in peace,” Mr. Patel averred.

The President also put on record his congratulations to the AIFF administration for “having done some exceptional work during these difficult times.”

“We have had our Leagues which were run simultaneously and successfully in a bubble. Unfortunately, we could not afford multiple venues as we had to follow safety protocols. But, we managed the competitions successfully,” he stated.

Referring to the forthcoming AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022, Mr. Patel explained: “Though we always like to broad base such tournaments across the country, unfortunately due to the pandemic situation as we were in the danger of losing the hosting rights for the tournament, we planned to host it within the bubble in and around the Mumbai region. That allows us access to an adequate number of training pitches, and the three stadiums in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, and Pune.”

Mr. Abhishek Yadav, Deputy General Secretary, AIFF, also Director National Teams apprised the committee about the calendar of the several National teams. “The Senior women’s team have also kicked-off their preparatory camp for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022 in Jamshedpur with support from the Government of Jharkhand,” Yadav informed.

Mr. Abhishek also updated the Committee about the ongoing National Centre of Excellence, Kolkata, the first phase of which is to be completed by the end of this year, followed by a soft launch.

Mr. Sunando Dhar, CEO Leagues, informed that the Hero I-League will kick-off in December. “The number of matches have increased and the League will get over by first-week of April 2022,” Mr. Dhar said. “The Hero I-League Qualifiers will kick-off under the bubble in Bengaluru from October first week. We have had 29 teams from 19 states contesting for the 10 spots in the HIL qualifiers.”

The committee also congratulated Gokulam Kerala FC for being the first Indian women’s club to qualify for the AFC Women’s Club Championship pilot project to be held in Jordan. “The qualification to the Hero IWL will be through the state leagues, and State Associations are supposed to complete their state leagues by January 15, 2022.”

Meanwhile, the inaugural AIFF Club Futsal Championship is to be held from November 1-13 in Shillong.

The committee, in unison, also ratified the implementation of a minimum criteria for all State Associations to nominate teams for the subsequent 2nd division/HIL qualifiers, and also the HIWL.

Based on the recommendation of the AIFF Medical Committee, the Ex. Co have asked former junior Indian International footballer Anwar Ali to produce an affidavit claiming full responsibility, along with details of the medical precautions to be taken by him, and his prospective club to make him eligible to play competitive football.

The Committee also lauded the efforts of the AIFF Secretariat to implement the training compensation, which will financially reward the clubs/academies nurturing talent between the age of 12-21. There will also be a share of the admin fee to the state and districts.

Meanwhile, owing to the pandemic situation, the competition calendar of 2020-21 has been brought forward to 2021-22. The National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy zonal rounds will be held from November 21, 2021, while the final round is slated to be held from January 5, 2022 onwards.

In addition, the Women’s Senior National Football Championship will be held from November 2021 onwards.

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AIFF has endeavored to make the most of the lost opportunities of the past 15 months arising due to the pandemic with an effort to work in sync with its international commitments and the importance of the domestic events.

The action begins with Bengaluru FC playing their (pending) AFC Cup qualifier against Club Eagles (Maldives) on August15. This will be followed by the league stage draw featuring ATK Mohun Bagan from 18-24 August. Fans could be in for a double treat if Sunil Chhetri led BFC manage to cross the first hurdle. These matches will be brought live from Maldives to Indian homes.

Concurrently, the Federation will convene a 15-day camp for its Senior Men’s team starting August 15 in preparation for the two International games India is likely to play during the FIFA window of Aug 30-September 7. Conversations are ongoing with a few federations and a final confirmation will be made in the coming days.

Plans are also afoot to ensure the smooth integration of the players from BFC and ATK MB players returning from the Maldives to the Indian camp in regard to covid protocols.

By the first week of September, the clubs are expected to commence their pre-season and will see all India International players available. A three-week window, till end of September will ensure club coaches roll out their pre-season training plans in full gear.

The start of October will see AIFF reconvening the National camp for India’s participation in the (twice postponed) biennial international men’s football event, the SAFF Championship 2021 featuring five member nations.  The tournament will be played till October 15, with India playing 4 games in a round robin format and would hope for an appearance in the final.

Immediately after the SAFF championship, India will start its preparation camp for its Group E engagement in AFC U-23 Asian Cup 2022 Qualifiers. While the Indian international players will return to their respective clubs from the SAFF Championship, the U23 players who would be summoned will be joining the preparatory camp.

There is also an additional FIFA window from 24January to 1 February 2022. India will start the third Round of AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers in February 2022, and will play 6 qualifiers till September 2022.

Further in the event of ATK Mohun Bagan or Bengaluru FC progressing from AFC Cup group stage, they are likely to be in the action as early as September 2021 in the inter-zonal semifinal. The inter-zonal finals are scheduled in October 2021 with the AFC Cup Final scheduled in early November 2021.

AIFF General Secretary Mr. Kushal Das stated: “We have made our best efforts in laying out a robust engagement for our Senior National team despite the ongoing pandemic situation and the different quarantine rules in different countries. India will play six international matches in the second half of 2021, and a possible seventh if we progress to the SAFF championship final.”

National Coach Igor Stimac stated: “I am happy with the way the calendar looks for now. I see great efforts being made by the federation to weave in a suitable duration of the India camp, and allowing clubs to also have availability of their key players for pre-season. What’s more important for me is to know that we are stepping onto the ground in the next 10 days, i.e., August 15, 2021 with the India camp, and simultaneously two clubs getting engaged in AFC Cup fixtures. The concurrent pre-season of clubs will also ensure our players — be it seniors or the under 23 probables will be in top fitness and game ready.”

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The Head Coach, Assistant Coach, Goalkeeping Coach and the FIFA Referees/FIFA Assistant Referees fall under the periphery of the technical staff.

The AIFF has laid down certain guidelines for an individual to apply for financial support and all players/technical staff who have represented the country since 1950 are eligible to apply. Each request will be assessed on a case-to-case basis on the basis of the guidelines laid down. The policy has been categorized into three categories based on the level of competitions participated, details of which can be obtained here.

AIFF General Secretary Mr. Kushal Das said: “The AIFF values the immense contribution of the players who have brought laurels for the country. While AIFF has financially assisted players and staff even in the past on a case-to-case basis, we have now tried to formalise the process. We have henceforth, laid down a procedure wherein we are ready to help for the benefit of all our heroes, and their families.”

All applications also need to be sent to [email protected] for AIFF to proceed with the request.

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It is the first time that the towering central defender has received the Player of the Year award, having won the Emerging Player of the Year Award in 2014.

He shared his joy at receiving the honour, saying: “Being voted by club coaches of the Hero ISL and the Hero I-League as the AIFF Men’s Footballer of the Year 2020-21 is a huge honour for me. I take this Award as a motivation to do better, and inspire others to follow their passion for the sport. A big thank you to AIFF, my family, my team-mates, support staff and all my coaches both at the club level, and at the National level for keeping their belief in me. And a big hug to all those teachers and well- wishers who have stood by me all throughout. This Award comes with a huge responsibility – not to let anyone down.”

Sandesh made his Senior National Team debut in 2015 in Guwahati and has since gone on to make 40 appearances for the Blue Tigers, scoring four goals. He was part of the Indian sides that lifted the Hero Intercontinental Cup in 2018 and played out a memorable draw at the home of the Asian champions Qatar in 2019.

Additionally, he has captained the senior team on five occasions, the most recent being the International Friendly against Oman in Dubai in March this year. He also received the prestigious Arjuna Award from the Government of India in 2020.

20-year-old Suresh Singh Wangjam, who made his Blue Tigers debut earlier this year against Oman, becomes the latest midfielder to win the Men’s Emerging Footballer of the Year Award.

He stated: “It’s an honour for me to receive the AIFF Men’s Emerging Footballer of the Year 2020-21 Award. I am extremely glad and thankful. This Award will improve my self-belief and will motivate me to achieve further success in the future.”

A former AIFF Academy cadet, Suresh was part of the Indian side that competed at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2017 and spent two seasons with the AIFF’s developmental side Indian Arrows in the Hero I-League. Known for his never-ending stamina and box-to-box play, the midfielder has notched up five senior national team caps and started all three of India’s games at the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in Doha in June.

The winners for the awards were chosen on the basis of votes from Hero Indian Super League and Hero I-League club coaches.

“Heartiest congratulations to the Awardees. I hope they will continue moving forward from strength to strength in the future and continue to inspire with their performances and achievements,” AIFF President Mr. Praful Patel said in his statement.

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This grant is a one-time financial assistance for match officials who are managed by the AIFF through their participation as officials in AIFF competitions. The match officials eligible for the COVID-19 relief grant are those who do not have a permanent job or income aside from the match fee and allowances earned through officiating in football competitions as on June 2021. Under the assistance, 164 eligible match officials (Cat 1 and Cat 2) will be receiving a one-time financial assistance . The total outlay for this assistance is around Rs. 25 lakh.

AIFF General Secretary Mr. Kushal Das averred: “The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the world especially the sports industry hard and the essential COVID safety protocols have resulted in lack of sporting activities barring a few major professional events.”

“In our endeavour to move forward together, the AIFF understands that this has led to job and income loss for many who depend on these activities to earn their income. With the pandemic now extending beyond a year but with uncertainty still prevailing on when activities can start fully there are several people struggling financially,” the General Secretary added.

“The AIFF would like to extend its support to as many people as possible who are associated with the sport.”

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47 participants took part in the online event, which was also attended by Ms. Hesterine De Reus, UEFA Assist Expert; Mr. Chris Milnes, International Relations Project Specialist, UEFA; Ms. Bai Lili, Head of Women’s Football, AFC, along with other representatives from UEFA, AFC and AIFF.

The three-and-a-half-hour long comprehensive session opened with an address from Mr. Kushal Das, General Secretary, AIFF, who talked about the ‘important role’ of women’s football and sport in general, along with its ‘tremendous potential’.

“I’m very happy to be a part of this workshop. Women’s football has a very important role to play in the overall strategic plan of the federation and that is the reason for us to be hosting the upcoming AFC Women’s Asian Cup and FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2022, and developing the Hero Indian Women’s League. We are also taking part in the AFC Women’s Club Championship 2021 Pilot Tournament along with the introduction of Club Licensing for women’s teams, which is a critical objective,” Mr. Das averred.

He continued, “Development of the women’s game is vital — in football and all sports in general as it plays a very important role in society, and the AIFF is very cognizant of this fact. Things are looking very positive and optimistic, and it is important for the clubs and stakeholders to understand the importance we give to women’s football. India has tremendous potential in women’s football and clubs have an important role in taking it forward.”

The interactive workshop was conducted by Mr. Geoff Wilson, UEFA Assist Expert. It kicked off by covering the various elements of a marketing plan, such as defining objectives, defining the target market, developing the brand, tone of voice, resources and budgeting, creating a timeline, etc.

The participants exchanged thoughts and suggestions actively, as they discussed numerous topics and ideas to increase fan engagement, building communities, developing brand identity, improving the matchday experience for fans, developing players as influencers, and generating income through sponsorships and other streams.

Mr. Sunando Dhar, CEO Leagues, AIFF, issued the closing address and talked about the future plans of providing a structure for women’s football right from the age of six to the senior level.

“I thank our friends from UEFA and AFC for sharing their experience and expertise with the clubs. Such workshops help everyone and I hope the clubs have learned a lot from this experience. Women’s football is something we are very focused on and we understand its potential in Indian football. We hope to build on this and continue moving forward together from here,” Mr. Dhar stated.

“The Hero IWL is developing as a league with every edition and we are trying to improve the league in terms of the number of teams, matches and duration — making it a bigger and better event every year. After U17s, we plan to introduce age-category leagues in the future as well for U13 and U15s. The U6-U12 age category comes under the Golden Baby Leagues, which has just started and already saw the participation of girls double in one year. We aim to keep increasing female participation at all levels and form a structure right from U6 to the Hero IWL,” he concluded.

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