India was on Tuesday suspended by world governing body FIFA for “undue influence from third parties” and stripped the country of the right to host the Under-17 Women’s World Cup, scheduled for October. This is the first time the All-India Football Federation (AIFF) has been banned by FIFA in its 85-year history.
The suspension also means that the Under-17 women’s World Cup, which was scheduled to take place in India from Oct. 11-30, cannot be held in the country as planned.
India’s highest court had disbanded the AIFF in May and appointed a three-member committee to govern the sport, amend the AIFF’s constitution and conduct elections that have been pending for 18 months.
In response, FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation sent a team led by AFC general secretary Windsor John to meet Indian football stakeholders and laid down a roadmap for the AIFF to amend its statutes by the end of July and subsequently conclude elections at the latest by Sept. 15.”The suspension will be lifted once an order to set up a committee of administrators to assume the powers of the AIFF Executive Committee has been repealed and the AIFF administration regains full control of the AIFF’s daily affairs,” FIFA said in Monday’s statement.
Earlier this month, the Indian court ordered elections to be held promptly and said the elected committee would be an interim body for a period of three months.
