Praying For A Miracle And Fresh Elections To Stop Freefall In Indian Football- Exclusive

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There is great anticipation in the Indian football circles that the Supreme Court of India will soon approve the draft constitution crafted by Justice L Nageswara Rao (retd) and elections will pave the way for a new Executive Committee to administer the All India Football Federation (AIFF), replacing the interim body that was elected in September 2022.

It is about time that the AIFF gets a new constitution that has the stamp of approval of the Supreme Court and the entire range of stakeholders. The AIFF is already facing persistent conflicts and it can get worse if the Executive Committee is not aligned with the structure proposed by the former judge of the Supreme Court.

There can be no denying the fact that there is a structural gap between the current Executive Committee and the inclusive General Body proposed in the draft constitution. Justice Nageswara Rao has suggested a broader representation of the football fraternity by including representatives of clubs, eminent players, coaches and referees besides State Associations.

Over the past year, former captain of the India men's team Bhaichung Bhutia has consistently been critical of the AIFF leadership for its inefficiency and mismanagement of the affairs of Indian football. He is not the only one making allegations of corruption, poor governance and weak leadership against the officials in charge of running the sport now.

To cite another example, former head coach of the National team, Igor Stimac, launched a scathing tirade against the AIFF leadership after he was removed. He has highlighted poor governance, lack of vision, and structural inefficiencies as the weaknesses of the interim Executive Committee.

The decline is reflected in the spiralling FIFA rankings of the national men's team. From being 104 in September 2022 when the interim Executive Committee was elected , the team improved to 99 on July 23, 2023 but has sunk to 126 now. The freefall has to be arrested sooner than later and the recall of Sunil Chhetri from retirement is a stop-gap arrangement

Fans and stakeholders, who are tracking proceedings in the Supreme Court, believe that a new constitution and a new Executive Committee will give Indian football a chance for rejuvenation and revival. Their hopes were sparked after the Supreme Court listed the case in January this year after several months, during which the world governing body FIFA

As recently as March 25, the Supreme Court emphasised the urgency of resolving the AIFF Constitution matter. It has listed the matter for final disposal as the first item on April 2. Last month, the Apex Court directed all counsel who intended to address it to hand over a one-page written submissions when they presented their arguments.

There are whispers in football circles that a no-confidence motion is being contemplated against the current leadership due to governance issues. But that may not become necessary should the Supreme Court of India approve the draft constitution, paving the way for fresh elections to replace the current Executive Committee led by Kalyan Chaubey.