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Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
AIFF seeks extension after project delay gets showcause notice from Bengal govt
Kolkata: The West Bengal government has asked All India Football Federation (AIFF) why the allotment of a 15-acre plot to build a national centre of excellence near Kolkata should not be cancelled. After seven years, the centre that was supposed to be fully commissioned in three years is far from completion, a state government agency has told AIFF. India's Sunil Chhetri trains at AIFF's national centre of excellence near Kolkata. (AIFF) '… Non-utilisation of government allotted land within the prescribed period constitutes a violation of the terms and conditions of allotment as mentioned in the Deed of Lease and attracts action including cancellation of allotment…,' a show cause notice on May 13 from West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (HIDCO) said. A government of West Bengal undertaking, HIDCO gave AIFF seven days to reply in its letter signed by Subhas Sinha, general manager (commercial). AIFF wrote back acknowledging the delay but has sought 'a reasonable extension' after stating that several key components were operational and that over ₹33 crore has been spent on the project. This includes ₹16.66 crore from FIFA, ₹6.56 crore from Asian Football Confederation and over ₹10 crore by AIFF, the reply dated May 21 said. The AIFF letter also pointed out that two pitches, one grass and the other artificial, have been used for training sessions by different India and Bengal teams, clubs in I-League and Indian Super League and the East Bengal team that won the Indian Women's League. AIFF attributed the delay due to the disruption caused by Covid-19 and other events before September 2022 when Kalyan Chaubey took charge as federation president. FIFA suspending India from August 16 to August 27, 2022, the Supreme Court appointing a committee of administrators (CoA) in May to run the federation and mismanagement of the previous administration have been listed as causes for delay in AIFF's reply signed by deputy secretary-general M Satyanarayan. HT has seen both letters. CoA's appointment in May 2022 to run AIFF 'disrupted normal governance and delayed project-related decision-making processes,' the federation has said. Since AIFF's previous administration under president Praful Patel was removed by the Supreme Court on 'grounds of mismanagement and failure to implement governance measures,' the current administration 'inherited the same' and had to conduct a 'comprehensive internal review' and implement corrective measures, AIFF's letter said. The only reason cited for which none of the above was responsible was heavy rain between June to September every year. That left the plot 'unfit for bearing installations that are crucial for foundation work,' according to the letter. Football's popularity in Kolkata and attendance figures in under-17 men's World Cup led to the decision by the West Bengal government to allot the land parcel to AIFF. With over 12 lakh people at matches, the edition in 2017 became the most watched under-17 World Cup. Over 56,000 watched the final and Kolkata, which hosted 10 matches, had an average attendance of 54,212. FIFA president Gianni Infantino had come for the final and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said he would be treated as a state guest. Two days after the final on October 28, the state cabinet approved the decision to allot 15 acres. HIDCO's letter to AIFF said that possession was handed over on June 21, 2018. The land parcel was given on 'leasehold basis for 99 years at a token lease premium of Re 1 and a token annual lease rent of Re 1 for setting up a National Centre of Excellence in Football with a Football Stadium and Football Academy.' As per the lease agreement, AIFF had six months to start construction and three years from the date to finish the project, according to HIDCO's letter. '… It has been found in a recent inspection that no Football stadium has been constructed and it appears that the project is far from completion even after nearly seven years of delivery of possession,' the letter from HIDCO stated. Most of the major issues have been resolved, AIFF has replied adding that it has awarded a contract to build another grass pitch specifically for youth and women's teams. AIFF's letter also mentions a 36-bed accommodation block which will help the federation plan 'year-round residential training camps.' Around $700,000 has been sanctioned for the accommodation block by AFC and work will start soon, Satyanarayan said over the phone from New Delhi on Tuesday. The block and the pitch are expected to be completed by December, 2025, said Satyanarayan who is also in charge of the centre. 'We take our obligations seriously and reiterate our full commitment to honour the conditions of the lease deed and the Allotment Letter by way of which the Allotted Plot was assigned to us,' AIFF has said. Its letter requests that no 'coercive action' is taken that may hinder AIFF's continued use of the land for football activities. Sinha acknowledged receiving AIFF's reply and said it has been sent to higher-ups in the government. 'We have not been told of any action from the government as yet,' he said on Tuesday.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
FSDL turns down AIFF proposal, calls for comprehensive approach to league structure
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its marketing partners are nowhere close to resolving the impasse over the 15-year Master Rights Agreement (MRA) that ends on Dec 8 Panaji: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its marketing partners are nowhere close to resolving the impasse over the 15-year Master Rights Agreement (MRA) that ends on Dec 8. In the last couple of months, the parties have presented proposals of their own with little in common. While the marketing partners suggested formation of a new holding company that governs, operates, commercialises and funds ISL, with clubs, AIFF and FSDL as the shareholders, the federation is in favour of an all-cash deal that provides them a minimum guarantee of Rs 50 crore, now with a five percent increment every year. The AIFF has told FSDL, a joint venture between Reliance and Star which runs the top league, they are ready to issue a 10-year sanction to run ISL and provide 'full commercial freedom'. The federation's proposal, which reduces the rights only to the top-tier league, at a higher price, and does not address the fundamental structure issues, has met with an expected response from the marketing partners: the present offer is not acceptable. 'A comprehensive approach to the league structure is critical, along with aligning with the league governance framework to global best practices, which is essential to long term stability,' FSDL wrote in an email to AIFF. 'This will help safeguard the investments made by the clubs over time.' According to FSDL, the ISL and its associated clubs face significant challenges under the current structure, 'having already made an investment of over Rs 5000 crores into the ecosystem without any financial returns.' The marketing partners have had detailed discussions with AIFF on the challenges during meetings on Feb 4 (Delhi) and March 5 (Mumbai), where the need for a sustainable ecosystem for football in India was emphasised. 'The commercial challenges make AIFF's proposal untenable,' said one official who has been tracking the developments. 'In the proposal, the federation retains all non-ISL rights which includes the national team and national team competitions. Earlier, FSDL held rights to all properties (since 2010); now they have only ISL and will have to pay a higher fee.' The AIFF has also sought five percent of any appreciation arising from sales of teams leading to expansion. The uncertainty over the start of the ISL saw Sunil Chhetri voice everyone's concerns. The India captain said the current state of "uncertainty" in Indian football is very concerning and the sport's ecosystem is "worried, hurt, and scared" with the top-tier ISL now put on hold indefinitely.
Indian Express
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
ISL on hold: Uncertainty in Indian football ‘scares' players, clubs caught in limbo
When the news first broke that the pre-season training was delayed by a fortnight, Sunil Chhetri 'smiled'. It meant he got more time 'to get in shape' after a lengthy vacation. 'That 'fortnight' has now changed to 'indefinitely' and that smile's been wiped out,' the Bengaluru FC talisman shared. And now, he is 'very concerned' about the 'current situation in Indian football'. The 'situation' Chhetri referred to in his lengthy social media post was about the Indian Super League (ISL). The future top flight of the men's game – and the centrepiece of the Indian football season – is up in the air after the upcoming season was put 'on hold' due to a dispute over an agreement between the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the Football Sport Development Limited, the joint venture that runs the ISL. Chhetri admitted that 'everybody is scared'. 'I've received a flurry of texts from players, staff members, physios, masseurs – not just from my club, but from other clubs as well. Everybody in the Indian football ecosystem is worried, hurt, scared about the uncertainty we are faced with,' he wrote. When my phone went off a few weeks ago informing us of a delay in pre-season by a fortnight, I must admit it made me smile. And that's because I was on vacation, hadn't moved as much as I would have liked to, and hadn't been eating as clean as I usually do. I had more time than I… — Sunil Chhetri (@chetrisunil11) July 16, 2025 Indeed, at a time when clubs would have been finalising their player signings and coach appointments and the fans would wait in anticipation for the league schedule, the common phrases whistling about in the pre-season debates are courtroom jargon like 'verdict' and 'order'. All eyes are on the Supreme Court's final order on the AIFF's constitution, which is expected on Friday, July 18. The governing body has the ongoing case as one of the reasons why an agreement with the FSDL is still pending. At the same time, the clubs are aware that the apex court's verdict is not a magic pill that will solve all issues. 'But at least that gets the ball rolling,' FC Goa CEO, Ravi Puskur, told The Indian Express. 'Neither the AIFF nor the FSDL can act, and so the clubs are left in a limbo. The Supreme Court removing that block obviously allows the two parties to talk.' Goa are one of two sides slated to compete in continental competitions this season, the other being Mohun Bagan Super Giant, who have qualified for the group stage proper of the AFC Champions League 2 (ACL 2) as ISL champions. Goa, on the other hand, have qualified for the playoff match as winners of the Super Cup. They are set to face Oman's Al-Seeb at home on August 13. The group stage begins September 16. 'While we are trying to manage our expenses as best as we can, we also want to put our best foot forward in the tournament,' said Puskur. He said that the club commences training at the end of this week and don't want to distract players or coaching staff from football matters. 'We keep working with them until someone tells us otherwise, that the league is not to go ahead this year. For, then we have another conversation that we need to have with them (the coaching staff and the players) given that they have a commitment and there is a guaranteed fixture we have to play on the 13th of August,' Puskur said. Bagan, on the other hand, are planning to start their pre-season training around the first week of August for the ACL 2. With regards to determining any schedule for the league itself, a source within the club told this paper that they are waiting for the Supreme Court verdict. Bagan are also among the six ISL clubs that have not pulled out of the Durand Cup, slated to start on July 23 with fellow Kolkata giants East Bengal facing South United in the season opener. However, they are fielding their junior side for the initial stages, with some seniors expected to join for the knockouts. Welcoming our new boys with the mandatory tunnel…#StrongerAsOne #8States1United — NorthEast United FC (@NEUtdFC) July 13, 2025 NorthEast United, the defending champions of the Durand Cup, have already started their pre-season training. 'Our season is on,' CEO Mandar Tamhane told this paper, stating that they have announced their pre-season schedule and are, for now, trying to maintain as much normalcy as possible. 'What is clear in front of me is that I have a Durand Cup, which is part of the AIFF calendar, and I have to prepare myself for that. What is going to happen, nobody can say anything about it till the time we have certain things which are dependent on the ruling of the honourable Supreme Court. I prefer to prepare for things that are in front of me rather than worry about how to prepare for something you don't know about,' he said. Chennaiyin FC have pulled out of the competition, one of seven ISL clubs to have done so, along with Bengaluru FC, Kerala Blasters, Odisha FC, Mohammedan Sporting, Hyderabad FC and Mumbai City FC. Sources within the club cite the uncertainty around ISL as a direct reason for the decision. Chennaiyin have decided to start their pre-season training approximately six to eight weeks before the new ISL season begins, once the dates are announced. The club has also paused any negotiations with potential foreign signings, as have Jamshedpur FC, Odisha FC, and the embattled Hyderabad FC, which are also grappling with a desire to relocate to Delhi. There's an air of anxiety as each day passes due to the uncertainty. But Chhetri appealed to 'everyone involved with Indian football' to 'stay calm. 'We'll ride this storm together,' he reassured. Rohit Mundayur is a Copy Editor with the Sports Team at The Indian Express. He works with the online team and is based out of Delhi. ... Read More
Hindustan Times
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Sunil Chhetri sounds alarm on Indian football's troubled state and uncertainty over ISL: ‘I may not have all answers…'
Sunil Chhetri took to social media to express his concerns over the ongoing "uncertainty" surrounding the state of Indian football, sharing a heartfelt note reflecting on the current situation. The Indian Super League has been put on hold, which Chhetri feels is quite concerning. Sunil Chhetri wrote a letter on the uncertainty over ISL.(PTI) Chhetri made an honest admission that his initial reaction to the news of the delayed pre-season was a smile, as the prospect of an extended break immediately crossed his mind, but it changed soon. "When my phone went off a few weeks ago informing us of a delay in pre-season by a fortnight, I must admit it made me smile. And that's because I was on vacation, hadn't moved as much as I would have liked to, and hadn't been eating as clean as I usually do. I had more time than I had bargained to get in shape," Chhetri wrote on X. The Indian football icon plays for Bengaluru FC in the league. He revealed that he has received texts from players and support staff from his club and other teams, too. "That 'fortnight' has now changed to 'indefinitely' and that smile's been wiped out. It began with worrying about how I am on borrowed time with what I have left in the tank. But speaking with players from across clubs, I've realised that my selfish problem isn't as important. The current situation that Indian football finds itself in, is very concerning. I've received a flurry of texts from players, staff members, physios, masseurs – not just from my club, but from other clubs as well. Everybody in the Indian football ecosystem is worried, hurt, scared about the uncertainty we are faced with," he added. The 2025–26 season of the ISL has been put on hold due to ongoing uncertainty regarding the renewal of the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) between the league organisers and the All India Football Federation (AIFF). The ISL usually takes place in the September to April window, but the current MRA between Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), which organises the event, and the AIFF is scheduled to expire on December 8, 2025, by which time the league would be into its third month. The decision followed a Supreme Court directive instructing the AIFF not to enter new negotiations over the MRA with FSDL—its commercial partner that operates the ISL—until a verdict is reached in the case concerning AIFF's draft constitution. FSDL signed a 15-year MRA with AIFF in 2010, and currently pays ₹50 crore annually in exchange for broadcasting, management, and commercial rights across Indian football, including the national team. 'We'll ride this storm together': Sunil Chhetri During these testing times, Chhetri urged the Indian football community to stay calm and hold firm, expressing hope that the season would soon get back on track. He acknowledged the efforts being made behind the scenes and extended his support to those whose livelihoods depend on the game, urging everyone to stick together and keep working hard. "I know that the think tank and all those involved in running the sport are working to get the football season up and running, and I'm hopeful that there is a solid fix sooner rather than later. I may not have all the answers, but my message to all those involved with Indian football – and more importantly the ones whose livelihood depends on it, the players, staff, kitmen, masseurs, medical teams, production crews, operations staff – please stay calm. We'll ride this storm together. Stick together and look out for each other. Keep training and getting better. Football has to resume soon. It will," he concluded.
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Business Standard
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Business Standard
India's football ecosystem is scared with uncertainty: Chhetri on ISL pause
Former captain and top striker Sunil Chhetri on Wednesday said the current state of "uncertainty" in Indian football is very concerning and the sport's ecosystem is "worried, hurt, and scared" by the top-tier ISL being put on hold indefinitely. Chhetri, who turns up for Bengaluru FC in the league, said he has been inundated with phone calls and messages expressing apprehensions about the future of the sport in the country. "It began with worrying about how I am on borrowed time with what I have left in the tank. But speaking with players from across clubs, I've realised that my selfish problem isn't as important," the 40-year-old Chhetri posted on X. "The current situation that Indian football finds itself in, is very concerning. I've received a flurry of texts from players, staff members, physios, masseurs - not just from my club, but from other clubs as well. When my phone went off a few weeks ago informing us of a delay in pre-season by a fortnight, I must admit it made me smile. And that's because I was on vacation, hadn't moved as much as I would have liked to, and hadn't been eating as clean as I usually do. I had more time than I… — Sunil Chhetri (@chetrisunil11) July 16, 2025 "Everybody in the Indian football ecosystem is worried, hurt, scared about the uncertainty we are faced with," he added. The ISL (Indian Super League) put the 2025-26 season "on hold" due to uncertainty surrounding the renewal of Master Rights Agreement (MRA) between the event organisers and the All India Football Federation. The league normally runs from September to April, and the current MRA between Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), which organises the event, and the AIFF is scheduled to expire on December 8, 2025, by which time the ISL would be into its third month. This was after a Supreme Court directive to AIFF in which the body was asked not to negotiate new terms of the MRA with FSDL, the apex governing body's commercial partner running the ISL, until a final judgment is delivered in the AIFF draft constitution case. FSDL is also the commercial partner of AIFF, and they signed a 15-year MRA in 2010. According to the MRA, FSDL pays the AIFF Rs 50 crore annually, and in turn gets the rights to broadcast, manage and commercialise Indian football, which also includes the national team. Chhetri said he was on vacation when he first learnt about the league being put on hold. "...I must admit it made me smile. And that's because I was on vacation, hadn't moved as much as I would have liked to, and hadn't been eating as clean as I usually do. I had more time than I had bargained to get in shape. "That 'fortnight' has now changed to 'indefinitely' and that smile's been wiped out. I know that the think tank and all those involved in running the sport are working to get the football season up and running, and I'm hopeful that there is a solid fix sooner rather than later," he said. The star player, who has come out of international retirement to bolster the Indian team that is enduring continuous poor results, urged for patience nonetheless. "I may not have all the answers, but my message to all those involved with Indian football and more importantly the ones whose livelihood depends on it, the players, staff, kitmen, masseurs, medical teams, production crews, operations staff please stay calm. "We'll ride this storm together. Stick together and look out for each other. Keep training and getting better. Football has to resume soon. It will," he signed off. The AIFF has said it is "conscious" of ISL's importance to the football ecosystem but had to respect the law of the land by following the Supreme Court directive. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
