Subroto Cup Sees Age Fraud Scandal Another Time, Three Teams Disqualified

In a fresh controversy, age fraud has once again marred the prestigious Subroto Cup Sub-Junior Boys tournament, leading to the disqualification of three teams. The 63rd edition of the tournament, which began on Monday in Bengaluru, was rocked by the revelation that several teams had fielded overage players.

The teams that were disqualified include Nazareth Model High School from Dima Hasao, Assam; Nehru Public School from Jamui, Bihar; and Ultou Govt. Model High School from Bishnupur, Manipur.

The discovery was made following Skeletal Age Estimation Tests, which were conducted in accordance with regulations set by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). These tests revealed that each of the three teams had fielded more than four players who were above the age cut-off for the tournament.

The matches played by these teams on the opening day of the competition were declared null and void. A total of 19 players were found to be overage across the three teams, with one team fielding seven ineligible players and the other two teams fielding six each.

"This is not an isolated incident. Every year, we encounter cases of overage players in the Subroto Cup, and teams get disqualified due to the strict rules in place," a source close to the development told The Bridge. The issue of age fraud has been a persistent problem in Indian football, with the Subroto Cup frequently seeing disqualifications due to this issue.

Adding to the controversy, three more teams are currently awaiting results of their age verification tests. These teams are from Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra. However, reports suggest that the number of overage players this year is lower compared to last season.

In the 62nd edition of the Subroto Cup, a staggering 16 teams were disqualified after 126 players were tested for age fraud. Of those tested, 87 players failed the tests, leading to the removal of their teams from the competition.

One of the school representatives acknowledged the fault on their part, stating, "The players submitted their age certificates, and we trusted them. It's a fault on our part, but we will try to be more stringent next time." Another representative declined to comment on the issue.

The disqualification of teams for age fraud highlights the ongoing challenges in maintaining fairness in youth football in India. Despite efforts by organizers and the AIFF to enforce stringent age-verification protocols, the problem remains a recurring issue that undermines the integrity of the competition.