- Recently, Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), suspended the country’s top administrative organization, the All-India Football Federation (AIFF), for undue influence from third parties.
- This suspension took away the country’s rights to hold the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2022, scheduled to be held from October 11-30.
FIFA
- FIFA or the Federation Internationale de Football Association is the highest governing body of football in the world.
- It is the international governing body of association football, futsal, and beach soccer.
- FIFA is a non-profit organisation.
- Founded in 1904, FIFA was launched to oversee international competition among the national associations of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. FIFA now comprises 211 member nations.
- It is headquartered in Zurich.
Objectives:
- The primary objective of FIFA is to spread football internationally and promoting integrity and fair play.
- It is responsible for the organization and promotion of international tournaments, including the men’s World Cup, which started in 1930, and the women’s World Cup, which began in 1991.
- It is affiliated with the International Olympic Committee and is also a member of the International Football Association Board, which is responsible for setting the rules of football.
Six Regional confederations affiliated with FIFA:
- The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is the governing body for Asia and Australia.
- Confederation of African Football (CAF) has 56 members,
- Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCAF) has 41 members,
- Confederation Sudamericana de Fútbol (CONMEBOL) is the South American federation with 10 members,
- Oceania Football Federation (OFC) has 14 members including New Zealand,
- Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) with 55 members is the governing body for Europe.
AIFF
- The All-India Football Federation (AIFF) is the organization that manages the game of association football in India.
- It administers the running of the India national football team and also controls the I-League, India’s premier domestic club competition, in addition to various other competitions and teams.
- The AIFF was founded in 1937, and gained FIFA affiliation in the year 1948, after India’s independence in 1947.
- Currently, it has an office in Dwarka, New Delhi. India was one of the founding members of the Asian Football Confederation in 1954.
Ban the All-India Football Federation (AIFF)
- AIFF’S President’s Unwillingness to Vacate His Post:
- President Praful Patel, also a FIFA council member, refused to relinquish his post as the head of football in the country.
- He cited the long-drawn-out pandemic, coupled with a court case regarding the AIFF constitution.
- Despite the growing concerns about the working of AIFF, the Supreme Court of India intervened and removed Patel from his post.
- Further, The SC also appointed a Committee of Administrators (COA) to run the AIFF.
- As per FIFA Statutes, member federations should not be subject to legal and political interference in their respective countries.
- Third Party Intervention refers to a situation in which a member association of FIFA fails to remain independent, is co-opted, and no longer has control over its organization.
- In India’s case, the SC’s diktat to the COA to run the AIFF was a textbook case of third-party interference.
SOURCE: THE HINDU,THE ECONOMIC TIMES,MINT