New Delhi: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Saturday informed all its members that the top-flight Indian Super League (ISL) will start on September 4. In the meeting attended by the Special General Meeting (SGM), no decision was taken on the club-led model of the ISL.On Friday, the AIFF wrote to commercial rights promoter Genius Sports, informing them of the delay in the final decision. The national body also explained that Indian football needs to take a different approach in terms of its finances. Under the new arrangement, the AIFF and ISL clubs agreed last week after a meeting with sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya. The model, which is expected to run for four years, calls for a separate governing body for the league, with the clubs leading the way. The AIFF, meanwhile, will be responsible for the logistics and operations and will receive Rs 16 crore annually under the scheme.While the AIFF is awaiting a response from Genius Sports, the proposal has not been approved by the governing body. The matter is expected to be discussed next week by the ISL Steering Committee, which consists of club representatives and three AIFF officials.
AIFF sees name change
In an interesting move, AIFF is also considering changing its name to Football Federation of Bharat (FFB).TimesofIndia.com understands that the idea was floated at the SGM. However, it is not an easy process, because it requires the approval of the Central Committee before it is sent to the Sports Ministry.After failing to get the necessary time for discussions in the previous SGM held in Kolkata in May, the National Sports Governance Act (NSGA) was enacted on Saturday. After that, several changes can be made to the AIFF Constitution by June 30.Under the NSGA, sports federations – such as the AIFF – have until June 30 to approve and implement new constitutional and governance changes mandated by the Sports Ministry.At the SGM, the football calendar was also discussed, and the ISL was scheduled to start on September 4 with the Durand Cup at the end of July.
