SC terminates mandate of CoA to manage affairs of AIFF

NEW DELHI,

THE Supreme Court on Monday disbanded the Committee of Administrators (CoA) it had set up to manage the affairs of the AIFF in a bid to get the suspension of the national football body by the FIFA revoked.

Meeting a key criteria set by the world football governing body FIFA that raised the prospects of the AIFF’s suspension being lifted, the court directed the termination of the mandate of the three-member CoA and handed back the football body’s day-to-day management to its administration to also help salvage the Under-17 Women’s World Cup 2022 due to held in October in India. The CoA headed by former apex court judge Justice (retd) Anil R Dave was appointed on May 18.

The court said it is modifying its earlier orders to “facilitate” the revocation of the suspension and holding of the world tournament in India. “In the event that the above process is not taken to its logical conclusion, the Court would consider any further order at the subsequent stage,” a bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and AS Bopanna said, a day after the Centre moved an application seeking an end to the “mandate” of the CoA as demanded by the FIFA in a desperate bid to get the All India Football Federation (AIFF)’s suspension lifted.

The top court also postponed the August 28 elections of the AIFF by one week to allow a changed electoral college and the start of the nomination process.

The Centre in its application had virtually accepted all the demands made by the FIFA including ending the tenure of the CoA as well as not allowing individual members in the electoral college.