ISL clubs ask AIFF to urgently seek SC help
A joint letter from the clubs to Chaubey said AIFF should 'urgently' inform the Supreme Court about the irreversible damage that threatens Indian football because of the legal uncertainty and administrative vacuum caused by an observation from the court that no major decision can be taken till its verdict is announced. If AIFF does not, the clubs would, independently. ISL double winners Mohun Bagan Super Giant and East Bengal are not among the signatories. HT has seen the letter.
The club have said that as AIFF is the 'statutory regulator of football in India' and the 'principal party to the proceedings' in the Supreme Court, it can by 'mentioning the matter for urgent listing and apprising the Hon'ble Court of the current situation' ensure that 'ISL and associated competitions may proceed.'
'We believe such a step is both legally permissible and in the interest of safeguarding football, the AIFF's own regulatory mandate, and the welfare of all stakeholders involved,' the letter states.
'We are, in fact, somewhat surprised that the matter has not already been brought to the Court's attention, given its gravity and implications for the sport,' the clubs have written.
ISL clubs, as per the letter, do not want to independently approach the Supreme Court because they are not a party in the case about the AIFF's constitution. But they will if needed.
'Should AIFF choose not to act, we reiterate that the ISL clubs will have no option but to seek judicial recourse independently, to protect the integrity of the League and the interests of the sport,' the letter says.
The letter was sent one day after AIFF and its commercial partners met with representatives of all ISL clubs. After the meeting, Chaubey said at a press conference that the league will happen this season though it could be delayed because the matter is in court. AIFF proposed the season starts with its cup competition, Super Cup, next month.
'I have received the letter and AIFF will seek legal opinion on this,' said Chaubey over the phone from New Delhi. 'AIFF will support the clubs if they move to the Supreme Court for an early order or interim relief.'
Chaubey said AIFF was concerned that the uncertainty over the league had led to people being laid off and salaries stopped at clubs. 'I am told that nearly 5000 families are affected directly or indirectly. AIFF will do everything possible in its constitutional capacity to help.'
Lack of clarity on the 2025-26 ISL season stems from negotiations on a new agreement between AIFF and its commercial partners being suspended following an oral observation by the Supreme Court in April that no major decisions be taken till a final order is passed in the case on the AIFF's constitution.
The existing 15-year agreement ends on December 8, 2025. And since that would be one-third into an ISL season, the commercial partners are not keen on starting the 2025-26 edition till discussion on a future agreement remains inconclusive, they said in July.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India.com
33 minutes ago
- India.com
'Will remove you from the team...', Sanju Samson recalls Team India head coach's words over...
Sanju Samson. (PIC - X) Wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson credited India head coach Gautam Gambhir for backing him to succeed in T20Is, and revealed him saying that he would only be dropped from the team if he registered 21 ducks. With Gambhir taking charge as India's head coach after the T20 World Cup win and Suryakumar Yadav appointed as the captain, Samson was given the opportunity to open the batting and has formed a formidable opening pair with left-handed batter Abhishek Sharma. 'So, suddenly, the change happened after the T20 World Cup. So Gautam bhai came in, and Surya came in as the captain. I was playing a Duleep Trophy game in Andhra. Surya was playing for the other team.' 'He told me, 'There is a good opportunity coming up for you. We have seven games lined up, and I am going to give you all seven games as an opener'. The words coming out from the captain's mouth itself actually felt, Oh wow, great,' said Samson in a video on former off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin's YouTube channel on Saturday. Further throwing light on what Gambhir said to him, Samson said, 'I played two games in Sri Lanka but was unable to score runs. I was a bit down in the dressing room, and Gautam bhai came up to me and asked what had happened.' 'I said, 'After a long time, I got a chance, but I failed to capitalise'. He said, 'So what? I'll drop you if you register 21 ducks'. That's the word that he used. That kind of confidence from the captain and the coach has definitely raised my confidence. That really helped me to go out there and perform,' he added. So far, Samson has featured in 42 T20Is for India, scoring 861 runs at an average of 25.32 and a strike rate of 152.38. He has registered three centuries and two fifties in the format, with his maiden hundred coming against Bangladesh in Hyderabad last year, followed by two more centuries against South Africa. He will be in contention for the Indian team selection for the Asia Cup in the UAE from September 9-28. Samson admitted that being in and out of the team since his T20I debut in 2015 had left him frustrated, but things changed for the better for him after the arrival of Gambhir and Suryakumar. 'I know this thing, being on and off from the team and all those things were happening for a very long period of time, so honestly, I feel like it was not easy, and I think it was definitely not easy to have those kinds of feelings.' 'Like, I almost completed eight to nine years of my international career, but I only played 15 games or something. I always tried to keep myself in a very positive frame of mind. I always kept on telling myself, 'Okay, it will happen, but different people have different journeys. Yours is a different journey',' he concluded.
Deccan Herald
33 minutes ago
- Deccan Herald
Bengaluru jockey Suraj creates history at Ascot
A day before the six-race event, the captain of Team Asia and only Indian in the 12-jockey field had promised to do the 'Frankie Dettori jump' if he won a race. On Saturday, Suraj managed to do both.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Self-taught Pranav shows mettle
V Pranav CHENNAI: V Pranav's last few months have moved at the pace of a blitz clock. November 2024 brought him the Chennai Grand Masters challengers title, December saw him strike double gold at the Youth Worlds, and in March this year, he was crowned world junior champion. The Chennai boy's triumph in the challengers last season promoted him to the masters table this year. In a bold and rare move for someone stepping into this league, the 18-year-old has been his own coach for a few months. His campaign here began on an even keel: a composed draw with Karthikeyan Murali in the opener, followed by a stumble against current sole leader Vincent Keymer. On Saturday, playing with black pieces against seasoned Dutch GM Anish Giri, the youngest player in the tournament faced his toughest test yet. The second-seeded Anish was in the driver's seat and enjoyed a dream position, but Pranav hung in and walked away with a draw. Speaking after the hard-earned draw, Pranav said: 'For the past few months, I've been training by myself. I just wanted to try something different because I like doing this stuff myself... It will really help my chess a lot. I think the more work I do on my own, the better I will get. 'Let's say for this tournament, preparing for opponents would be one of the main things. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Most Beautiful Women In The World Undo I've been choosing for myself what to play and trying to find what I can do on my own. I think in the future it will really help.' Chennai GM organiser N Srinath told TOI that it's unusual for a player to go without a coach during the transitional stage of his career. 'It's definitely not common, but maybe he is in between changing two coaches,' Srinath said. Being his own coach, Pranav knows he tends to push too hard in some games and is working on fixing that. 'The year started very well, but after that, in a few open tournaments, I did not perform that well. Mostly it was just that in many games I was pushing a lot. I think that was the main issue, especially against lower-rated players, I was just not taking a draw (even when) in equal positions. These things happen and I just tried to rectify those mistakes. I think it's just my style. From a very young age, even if I'm playing a higher-rated player, I never… even if they offered a draw, I never took it,' said Pranav, who was last training under Shyam Sundar at Chess Thulir Academy. In the day's other results, Keymer made short work of Karthikeyan to stay perched at the top with a perfect three points. Breathing down his neck is Arjun Erigaisi on 2.5, after he outplayed Ray Robson. And the all-Indian duel between Vidit Gujrathi and Nihal Sarin was the last to finish, delivering plenty of drama. With the black pieces, Nihal surprised in the opening and gained a sizable edge on the clock, but Vidit steered into a stronger position. The contest remained balanced until a late blunder from Nihal turned the game decisively. Vidit converted with precision, handing his compatriot a second difficult loss after an intense fight. In the Challengers, Abhimanyu Puranik, M Pranesh, and Leon Luke Mendonca won their respective games, while B Adhiban and D Harika, and Aryan Chopra and Diptayan Ghosh, shared the points. Results: Round 3: Masters: Vincent Keymer bt Karthikeyan Murali; Arjun Erigaisi bt Ray Robson; Awonder Liang bt Jorden van Foreest; V Pranav drew with Anish Giri; Vidit Gujrathi bt Nihal Sarin. Challengers: Abhimanyu Puranik bt GB Harshavardhan; M Pranesh bt Pa Iniyan; Adhiban Baskaran drew with D Harika; Leon Luke Mendonca bt R Vaishali; Aryan Chopra drew with Diptayan Ghosh. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
