The Supreme Court will on Wednesday hear the matter related to FIFA suspending the All India Football Federation, PTI reported.
The Centre on Tuesday sought an urgent hearing about FIFA’s decision as it takes away India’s opportunity to host the Under-17 Women’s World Cup that has been scheduled to take place between October 11 and October 30.
At the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the Supreme Court bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and AS Bopanna that “some development” had taken place about the All Indian Football Federation and that the matter should be heard urgently, Live Law reported.
The world soccer’s governing body while suspending the All India Football Federation on Tuesday, cited “undue influence from third parties”. In August 2022, FIFA had named the Committee of Administrators appointed to oversee elections to the executive committee of the federation as the “third party influence”, Live Law reported.
FIFA on Tuesday said it will revoke the ban once the Supreme Court disbands the Committee of Administrators.
‘Third-party influence’
The Committee of Administrators was appointed after the Supreme Court on May 18 relieved the president of the All India Football Federation Praful Patel and his executive commitee of their duties. Patel’s term expired in December 2020. He completed three terms of four years each – the maximum permitted to a sports federation chief under India’s National Sports Code.
The elections for his post could not take place because of pending cases in the Supreme Court regarding the Constitution of the All India Football Federation.
In June, FIFA appointed an advisory committee to look over the drafting of the Constitution that was supposed to be completed by July 31, The Hindu reported.
On July 16, the Committee of Administrators submitted a draft of the All India Football Federation Constitution to the Supreme Court. One of its provisions included having an electoral college of 36 eminent football players and 36 representatives of the state.
The state units of the sports body said the provision was discriminatory and illegal. FIFA also recommended that eminent players could comprise only 25% of the electoral college.
In August, the Supreme Court asked the All India Football Federation to elect its executive committee before the U-17 Women’s World Cup. It allowed the composition of the electoral college sanctioned by the Committee of Administrators, not taking into consideration FIFA’s recommendations.
Subsequently, FIFA on August 7 threatened to suspend the All Indian Football Federation, according to The Hindu.
Three days later, the Committee of Administrators approached the Supreme Court citing interference from state football associations and Patel. The panel accused them of defeating the purpose of the Supreme Court’s supervision of the football federation through the Committee of Administrators.
On Tuesday, while suspending the All Indian Football Federation, FIFA said that it is firm on its demand for change in the composition of the electoral college.
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