Ozone FC gets serious on age fraud issue

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Bengaluru, March 2: Ozone FC Bengaluru says it's taking necessary precautions to prevent age fraud among its academy players.

The Under-15 Ozone team was barred from competing in the U-15 Youth League after one of its players, Akash Chander Jadhav, was found to have fudged his age records. Bengaluru FC (U-13) and Jammu United FC (U-15) were also barred from competing.

"We, as a club, do not believe in fudging the age," Ozone FC Bengaluru CEO Mohamed Rafik said on Friday (March 2). "When we have invested so much in football and that too for a non-profit cause, there is no reason for us to commit this offence. That said, we would to be the first club to address this problem. We've ensured that every child being admitted into the Ozone academy has to undergo an MRI to determine his actual age and perhaps an X-Ray Bone test as well. We've also asked for additional documentation from each player - be it his Aadhar or passport - along with the birth certificate and school certificate."

Even in 2017, Ozone's U-16 side was disqualified from the Nike Premier Cup for fielding overage players. Ozone moved the Karnataka High Court back then and sought a stay on the order to play their final against Minerva Punjab. They, however, eventually lost that final.

"This problem is not faced by Ozone FC alone," Stanley Rosario, the Ozone academy coach, said. "It's a challenge for all academies all over the world. We're looking to fix a mechanism as a team and eradicate age fraud. The All India Football Federation has to further form guidelines to avoid more cases."

As per the AIFF guidelines, the birth certificate of a player is enough for him to gain entry into a football academy. If the birth certificate was not registered within one year of the player's birth, then he will have to provide an X-Ray Bone Test along with his form. A bone age study helps doctors estimate the maturity of one's skeletal system. The left wrist, hand and fingers are used to estimate the age.

Ozone, however, are insisting on an MRI scan as well to avoid further embarrassment.