Latest news with #I-League2024-25
Time of India
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
I-League: AIFF officially asks Churchill to return trophy and medals
Panaji: The All India Football Federation ( AIFF ) has requested Churchill Brothers FC to return the I-League champions trophy and medals to comply with the stay order granted by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), a Switzerland-based independent court tasked with resolving legal disputes in the field of sport through arbitration. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The AIFF handed over the I-League trophy to champions Churchill Brothers FC on Sunday, unaware that two hours earlier, CAS had stayed the decision of its appeals committee and asked the federation 'not to declare the winner of the I-League 2024-25 or organise a medal ceremony for the I-League until the present arbitration has been concluded.' Inter Kashi , who finished second behind Churchill by a point after the final round of matches, had appealed the AIFF's decision to declare Churchill as the champions before the sports court. The Varanasi-based side can finish on top, if they get the three points that were taken away by the AIFF appeals committee. On Feb 24, the disciplinary committee had upheld Kashi's appeal and handed them a 3-0 win after Namdhari FC were adjudged to have fielded an ineligible player. A month later, that decision was stayed by the appeals panel and subsequently, on April 19, the verdict was in favour of Namdhari, paving the way for Churchill to be crowned champions. 'The AIFF has to comply with the CAS order which has stayed the decision of the appeals committee,' a senior official told TOI on Tuesday. 'The federation has officially written to Churchill Brothers CEO (Valanka Alemao) to return the trophy and medals to the AIFF at the earliest.' The AIFF has explained to Churchill that they went ahead with the trophy distribution ceremony since it was notified of the CAS order only after the conclusion of the medal ceremony, owing to Sunday being a public holiday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In its order, Elizabeth Steiner, deputy president of the CAS's Appeals Arbitration Division, provided AIFF, Churchill and Namdhari FC time till April 29 to file a full reply to Inter Kashi's application for provisional measures. According to sources, AIFF is in favour of a quick resolution to the dispute and remain eager for a conclusion before the end of the season on May 31. 'An expedited procedure will ensure that there is a conclusion to the case before the next season starts. The earlier this gets resolved, the better it is for Indian football ,' said the official. Churchill have won the I-League title twice in the past (2008-09, 2012-13). The third title will be precious, given that it can take them to the top-tier Indian Super League (ISL) on sporting merit, just like the two previous I-League winners, Punjab FC and Mohammedan Sporting.
Time of India
27-04-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
CAS stays I-League title verdict, but Churchill get trophy from AIFF
Panaji: Just when you thought all the drama surrounding this season's I-League champions was over, Sunday threw up more twists and turns in the battle between Churchill Brothers and second-placed Inter Kashi . Tired of too many ads? go ad free now It all started with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) staying the all-important decision of the All India Football Federation's appeals committee to take away the three points that were previously awarded to Inter Kashi since Namdhari FC were adjudged to have fielded an ineligible player in their 2-0 win at home. The order by Elizabeth Steiner, deputy president of the CAS's Appeals Arbitration Division, also asked the AIFF 'not to declare the winner of the I-League 2024-25 or organise a medal ceremony for the I-League until the present arbitration has been concluded.' The Switzerland-based independent CAS is tasked with resolving legal disputes in the field of sport through arbitration. AIFF, Churchill and Namdhari have been given time till April 29 to file a full reply to Inter Kashi's application for provisional measures. Churchill, however, were crowned champions later in the day with AIFF deputy secretary general M Satyanarayan handing over the trophy to captain Lamgoulen Hangshing and the medals to the team members at a city hotel in South Goa. The AIFF later clarified that they were unaware of the CAS order, until after the conclusion of the trophy ceremony. 'The AIFF would like to clarify that, with regard to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) order, due to a holiday in the AIFF Secretariat, the federation was only informed of the order at a time when the ceremony had already been concluded in Goa,' the AIFF said in a statement late on Sunday. 'The AIFF remains committed to adhering to all regulatory and legal processes and will take appropriate action.' Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The AIFF had previously ignored an email from a Geneva-based law firm representing Inter Kashi at CAS to postpone the medal ceremony until the CAS Panel has finally resolved the dispute. Churchill said they had plans to celebrate the I-League title victory with a trophy reception at the Panchayat ground, Raia, where they played all home games this season, but changed plans due to the death of Pope Francis and the terror attack in Pahalgam. 'The prospect of receiving the I-League Trophy after securing the top position with 40 points following our draw against Real Kashmir FC in Srinagar on April 6, 2025, in accordance with AIFF regulations, would have been a moment of immense joy. However, that was not the case. We were compelled to seek legal intervention. Following the directives of competent legal authorities, the AIFF eventually agreed to award us the trophy,' Churchill said on Sunday. The club said the AIFF presented them with two options: receiving it on May 2, 2025, during the Super Cup in Bhubaneswar, or having their representatives hand it over in Goa. 'Having withdrawn from the Super Cup, we deemed it inappropriate to participate in any related events. Opting to receive the trophy in Goa allowed us the opportunity to invite the local media, ensuring that this achievement could be shared with the entire state. The trophy, first and foremost, belongs to our dedicated players, coaching staff and all other officials of the team who have worked very hard to make this dream come true. 'Regrettably, the unfortunate and avoidable delays have resulted in the absence of most of the squad today. Only few players along with a few members of our coaching staff, are present from our approximately 30-member team. This is deeply disappointing, as each individual worked tirelessly for this victory,' said Churchill. Churchill finished the league with 40 points, one more than second-placed Inter Kashi. The three disputed points hold the key to deciding the eventual champions, who would move to the top-tier Indian Super League (ISL) on sporting merit.
