In a week when they pulled off upset wins to keep their hopes alive, Mumbai-based I-League sides Air India and ONGC have been left to deal with a massive blow.
In a week when they pulled off upset wins to keep their hopes alive, Mumbai-based I-League sides Air India and ONGC have been left to deal with a massive blow.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has decided to axe the two city-based sides, along with Bangalore’s HAL, from the top division next season as they have failed to meet the guidelines set by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The three public sector undertakings (PSUs) will not be seen in action because they did not declare themselves as commercial entities, which was one of the criteria set by pro-league committee of the AFC.
Moreover, the teams will not be able to participate in the second division as well, until they meet the basic criteria set by the continental body. The ad-hoc committee formed by the Asian body met under the chairmanship of AFC president Mohammad Bin Hammam in New Delhi on Wednesday, and it was found that out of 14 elite dvision I-League clubs, these three failed to meet the club licensing rules.
The clubs were given a December 31, 2010, deadline to fulfil the criteria and submit all the required documents to AFC. A final decision on the eligibility of the I-League as a fully professional league will be taken on Thursday.
A top AIFF official, on the condition of anonymity, said that Hammam was unhappy about the fact that three institutional clubs failed to meet the licensing criteria despite assurances from AIFF president Praful Patel. The Qatari, who is challenging Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency, felt it was time to come down hard on the erring clubs, which was not allowing the I-League to become a fully professional league.
“Despite several warnings, these clubs did not take the required efforts. There was no other way left for us,” said the official, adding that the licenses are renewed annually and the clubs can still be a part of the second division if they fulfil the licensing criteria by year-end.
The decision comes as a big jolt for the sport in Mumbai, as only one team — Mumbai FC —could be representing the city the next season in the top flight. Air India and ONGC occupy the last two spots in the table, currently but the teams had shown improvement in their performances after the recent mid-season break.
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