The All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Wednesday clarified before the Supreme Court that it had not written to the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) seeking approval for its amended constitution. The federation assured the bench that the Supreme Court-cleared draft constitution would be adopted in the upcoming general body meeting.
The clarification came a day after the court expressed concern over a news report claiming that AIFF had reached out to FIFA regarding its draft constitution.
Appearing for the AIFF, senior advocate Ranjit Kumar told a bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and A.S. Chandurkar that the federation “denies the report” and that “everything, according to the judgment of this court, will happen.” He added that while there may have been communications with FIFA on other issues, no correspondence was made regarding the court’s judgment.
Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, who served as amicus curiae in finalising the constitution, had brought the news report to the bench’s attention on Tuesday. On Wednesday, he acknowledged AIFF’s denial and expressed confidence that “no letter was written at all.”
The AIFF informed the court that the draft constitution, as approved by the bench on September 19, has already been circulated among its general body members. It said the process to adopt it within the four-week timeline mandated by the court has been initiated.
The September 19 judgment, delivered by Justices Narasimha and Joymalya Bagchi, directed AIFF to convene a general body meeting and adopt the constitution with proposed modifications. The court emphasised that sporting facilities and opportunities are “material resources of the community” and must remain accessible not only for playing but also for sports administration.
In a significant observation, the court cautioned against the concentration of sporting resources in the hands of the “urban economic elite,” urging the state to promote institutional efficiency, professionalism, and inclusivity in sports governance.
The bench also rejected suggestions to reduce the number of eminent players in AIFF’s general body, affirming that 15 eminent players would remain part of the structure. However, it tweaked the criteria for determining their eligibility. “The freedom of choice to form an association is not in any way compromised by the requirement to incorporate 15 eminent players,” the bench observed.
Meanwhile, advocate Rahul Mehra, who had earlier approached the Delhi High Court to align AIFF’s constitution with the National Sports Code, strongly objected to the practice of national federations allegedly using letters from international bodies to undermine court rulings.
