On August 17, a bombshell came out of the Times of India - the Indian Football Federation (IFF) was banned by FIFA, catching the Supreme Court of India off guard, which has announced that it will review the case.
Back in May of this year, the Supreme Court of India announced the dissolution of the federation and the temporary creation of a three-member administrative team to take charge of the federation's affairs. This move prompted FIFA to impose a ban on the Indian Football Association for what it called "improper third party interference". This is not only the first time that the Indian Football Federation has been banned by FIFA since its inception in 1937, but it also means that all Indian teams, clubs and national teams will not be able to participate in international tournaments. More seriously, India will lose the right to host the upcoming U17 Women's World Cup in October.
While the U17 Women's World Cup may not be hosted in India, the Supreme Court of India is likely to unravel the mystery in a review opinion to be released on Wednesday morning. Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta revealed that there have been new developments in the case. Moreover, the administrative team appointed by the Supreme Court earlier has also relaxed its stance by agreeing to an election by an electoral college comprising representatives of the state football associations with a view to forming a 23-member executive committee.
RELATED STORY: FIFA announces ban on Indian Football Association over third-party interference.
