Sunday, 13 Oct, 2024
By: Yash Gupte
In a major setback and embarrassment for the Indian football, global football governing body FIFA on Tuesday has suspended India for “undue influence from third parties” and has also said that the U-17 women’s world cup cannot be held in India. India is scheduled to host its first FIFA event i.e. U-17 women’s world cup from 11th-30th October.
In a major setback and embarrassment for the Indian football, global football governing body FIFA on Tuesday has suspended India for “undue influence from third parties” and has also said that the U-17 women’s world cup cannot be held in India. India is scheduled to host its first FIFA event i.e. U-17 women’s world cup from 11th-30th October. This is the first time the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has been banned by FIFA in its 85 year history. The AIFF is the governing body of football in India under jurisdiction of Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India. What must be done for the AIFF suspension to be lifted is patently clear from FIFA. FIFA noted that the suspension would be lifted once the order to form a committee of administrators to exercise the authority of the AIFF Executive Committee had been revoked and the AIFF administration had fully reclaimed control over the organization's day-to-day operations. In other words, the suspension will be lifted as soon as AIFF complies fully with the FIFA Statutes.
The ban is a major shock and setback for India as apart from hosting the U-17 women’s world cup, it cannot participate in any international matches. Even Indian clubs won't be permitted to compete in continental competitions. The men's squad is scheduled to play Vietnam and Singapore next month, but both games are now in doubt. Also, the senior women's team cannot take part in the SAFF Women's Championship next month, while Gokulam Kerala FC will not be able to take part in the AFC Women's Club Championship next week.
Having a look at the history of AIFF, it was affiliated to FIFA, the international governing body for football in 1948. In 1954, it became one of the founder members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The Indian footballers brought laurels to the homeland, by winning gold medals in the 1951 and 1962 Asian Games held at New Delhi and Jakarta, respectively. India registered another record in 1956, when she became the first Asian nation to make it to the Olympic football semi-finals in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Today, players like Sunil Chhetri have brought a lot of honors and glory for India by showcasing extraordinary performances in the international football. The seasoned striker has told his fellow mates to not worry about the suspension of AIFF and keep practicing hard and perform better wherever possible. Sunil Chhetri is one of the best footballers in India. The chart given below compares the world’s top 5 footballers according to the number of goals scored by them.
Source: www.olympics.com
Christiano Ronaldo leads the chart with 117 goals scored in 189 appearances and he is followed by Ali Daei of Iran who has scored 109 goals in 149 matches. The world famous footballer Lionel Messi is on the fourth position with 86 goals in 162 matches. Indian footballer Sunil Chhetri is on the sixth position as he has kicked 84 goals in just 129 appearances. This is a very big deal for him as the country which is represented by him has never played the FIFA cup. In spite of this, Sunil Chhetri is one of the best footballers in the history of international football. Though more needs to be done in order to improve the standards of Indian football, stars like Sunil Chhetri tend to bring a bright future for Indian football.
