CHENNAI/NEW DELHI: Not much has changed since Tuesday when FIFA suspended the All India Football Federation (AIFF) but the Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the centre to take a proactive role and ensure that India is able to host the U-17 Women’s World Cup in October. The court also asked the government to work on getting the suspension lifted.
The SG had already briefed the Supreme Court on Tuesday after FIFA banned AIFF late on Monday. Despite meetings on last Friday and Monday, the ministry could not stop FIFA from suspending AIFF and taking out the World Cup from India. The ministry is actively involved to keep the World Cup in India and has been in discussions with FIFA, the SC-appointed Committee of Administrators in AIFF and other stakeholders to defuse the situation.
During the hearing, solicitor general Tushar Mehta submitted that the government had a meeting with FIFA and said some “breaking of ice had taken place.” The SG said that the discussions are going on and that it won’t be appropriate to put it out yet. He sought time until Monday.
On being informed by Mehta about these positive developments, the three-member bench of Justices DY Chandrachud, AS Bopanna and JB Pardiwala set August 22 as the next date for hearing. “We would impress on the Union of India to take a proactive role in the matter so that the holding of U-17 World Cup and the lifting of the suspension of AIFF, in order to achieve that objective is duly facilitated,” the bench said in its order.
Laying emphasis on the immediate impact, senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan appearing for the Committee of Administrators submitted that a club from Kerala comprising young girls U-17 who had reached Uzbekistan for a football tournament would not be allowed to play.