AIFF condemns IOA for dropping national team from Asian Games contingent
All India Football Federation (AIFF) has awarded Indian footballer Sunil Chhetri with 2017 Player of the Year title while condemning IOA for dropping national football teams from Asian Games contingent. The decision was taken at the Federation's Executive Committee Meeting.
Sunil Chhetri has recently achieved the feat of playing 100 matches after his legendary mentor Baichung Bhutia. AIFF, in the Federation's Executive Committee Meeting in Mumbai, chaired by AIFF President Praful Patel decided to make Chhetri 2017 Player of the Year. The female equivalent title went to Kamala Devi.
Among other things, Anirudh Thapa was awarded the best emerging Player of the Year and E Panthoi won the female emerging Player of the Year title. AIFF has previously expressed their frustration with IOA's decision to drop the national Football teams from the Asian Games contingent and it was repeated on Sunday.
“The committee strongly condemned Indian Olympic Association’s decision to debar football teams from participating in the forthcoming Asian Games scheduled to be held in Jakarta,” the AIFF said in a statement after its executive committee meeting at Mumbai on Sunday.
The IOA, earlier this month, had dropped national football teams from the Asian Games contingent. The AIFF, among other decisions taken at the executive meeting, unanimously confirmed the 2018-19 club licensing regulations. Furthermore, it has implemented the TW3 test in order to prevent age fraud in all age-group competitions, club competitions, state tournaments and national team competitions as well.