Executive Committee member asks AIFF top brass to go slow over addition of new teams in I-League, IWL
Until its constitution is finalized, one of the All India Football Federation’s executive committee members, Valanka Alemao has requested to the AIFF president Kalyan Chaube through a letter to refrain from initiating for the addition of new teams in the I-League and Indian Women’s League, while also resisting the temptation of taking prior decisions before seeking approval from its executive committee according to a report from News9 Sports. “The last league committee meeting took place on 31st January, 2025. Direct entry into the I-League/lWL was on their agenda, but they decided that the ‘Discussion on pre-requisites for direct entry into leagues to be discussed in the upcoming meetings.’ Now this has never been made known to the EC Members at any point in time,” she wrote. “There have been very serious arguments made by various entities during the SC (Supreme Court) hearing calling for one league with a promotion/demotion structure on grounds of Sporting Merit. “Therefore, it would be prudent to wait for the new Constitution, which the SC will deliver to us, before taking this discussion forward. But this idea of having direct entries is put up for approval without even the draft being circulated,” she also pointed out the issue. Valanka Alemao has also given intimation to the AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey, requesting him not take prior decision about the direct entries of teams apart from instances where decisions have been taken in advance and placed before the executive committee for approval later. During the 2024-25 season, 12 teams competed in the I-League while eight participated in the IWL. With two teams expected to be relegated from both the leagues as per tournament regulations, the federation is keen on handing direct entries to new teams in these competitions. Though the idea faced rejection when placed before its league committee on 31st January, it didn’t dissuade the AIFF from abandoning the plan as it was put up for approval at its executive committee meeting on April 7. No decision was taken on the matter by the Executive Committee on 7th April, but it has prompted Valanka to point out that this practice is a deviation from the standard norms and protocols of the AIFF’s functioning and shouldn’t be encouraged further. A draft constitution, prepared by former judge L Nageswara Rao, has already been submitted in the Supreme Court, which has also completed the process of hearing arguments of all Indian football’s stakeholders and is poised to deliver a judgment once the proceedings resume after summer vacation on 14th July.
AIFF to ask Churchill Brothers to return the trophy; Churchill Alemao says they will not!
Churchill Brothers does not want to return the I-League trophy to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) even though the AIFF has decided to write an email to the Goan club to return it! The AIFF handed over the trophy to the Goan club in a function on Sunday evening in Goa despite the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s (CAS) order not to declare Churchill Brothers as the winner of I-League 2025 following an appeal from Inter Kashi. Deputy General Secretary of the All India Football federation M Satyanarayanan stated, “We got to know about the CAS order by 4:45 PM only on Sunday and by that time we had handed over the trophy. We are consulting our legal department and will shortly write to Churchill to return the trophy.” Churchill Alemao, the club’s founder president when asked about the issue commented while speaking over the phone, “We won the I-League this season playing on the field, not playing off the field. So, having earned the highest point we have become champions. We deserve it. AIFF handed over the trophy yesterday in a function. Now, the news are there that they will ask us to return the trophy! Is not it a joke?” Alemao added, “First of all I do not know whether we have received any such email yet. Secondly, nobody can take the trophy back from us even if we receive such mails.” Alemao also added, “We were victimized in different ways in the I-League this season. The key purpose was to stop us from entering into the ISL. But finally, we overcame all the conspiracies and other hurdles and won the League.” Meanwhile, Edmund Lalrindika, the Mizoram striker who had a consistent show with Inter Kashi in the I-League is likely to join Kerala Blasters to participate in the ISL next season.
