Guwahati: The All-India Football Federation (AIFF) was banned by FIFA on Wednesday, and after hearing the case the Supreme Court of India ordered the Centre to take proactive steps to guarantee that the Under 17 World Cup be conducted in the nation.
On the basis of the motion of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who is representing the government, the top court postponed the case until the next hearing on August 22.
The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and the Committee of Administrators (CoA) were contacted about the situation by the Center, and some level of discussion had already taken place, according to Solicitor General Mehta, who testified before the court.
The Under 17 World Cup must be staged in India, and the Centre has been ordered to take action to have AIFF’s suspension lifted.
It should be noted that FIFA, the world’s soccer governing body, stated on Monday evening that it has suspended AIFF “with immediate effect” owing to “undue intervention by third party.”
The Supreme Court-appointed CoA committee, which oversees the day-to-day operations of the AIFF, was cited as the cause of the suspension.
The suspension practically prevents any Indian team, club, or nation from competing in international competitions.
In an official statement on the matter, FIFA said, “The Bureau of the FIFA Council has unanimously decided to suspend the All-India Football Federation (AIFF) with immediate effect due to undue influence from third parties, which constitutes a serious violation of the FIFA Statutes.”
The All-India Football Federation has existed for 85 years, and this is the first time that FIFA has suspended it due to “flagrant violations of the FIFA Statutes,” according to the FIFA Council Bureau.
If the dispute is not resolved by the deadline, India risks losing the privilege to host the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, which is planned to begin on October 11, 2022.