The Hindu : Sport / Football : IFA fails to decide on Baichung Bhutia’s suspension

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IFA fails to decide on Baichung Bhutia’s suspension

Principal Correspondent

KOLKATA: The Indian Football Association (IFA) left the task of deciding the validity of India captain Baichung Bhutia’s six-month suspension by Mohun Bagan to the national body All India Football Federation.

A note from the outgoing AIFF general secretary Alberto Colaco, who wrote to the state body that the matter has already been referred to the AIFF player-status committee, apparently prompted the IFA decision.

The IFA governing body, which met on Thursday specifically to discuss an appeal from Bhutia challenging Mohun Bagan’s decision, could never take up the matter after the secretary Utpal Ganguly informed the house about the AIFF letter.

Arbitrary decision

The governing body, while expressing surprise at why the AIFF chose to take an arbitrary decision ignoring the state body, voted in favour of letting the matter being decided by the national body. The general opinion was that with the AIFF thrusting itself into the Bhutia issue, IFA’s decision on the matter would be of little consequence.

There were few who called it ‘arm twisting’ by AIFF but with the majority of the 37 members (out of a total of 50) present in the meeting thinking the other way the dissidents soon lost their voice.

Bhutia’s letter

The move to involve the AIFF came from Bhutia, who quietly wrote to the national body about his concerns at the delay the State body was making in taking a decision.

“On Wednesday evening my office received a letter of Baichung Bhutia forwarded by the AIFF secretary with a note that the matter has already been referred to the player-status committee,” Utpal Ganguly told the house.

“The AIFF just wishes to have our opinion on the matter and it depends on the house whether we should at all discuss this matter,” said Ganguly as he set the motion to a voice vote, where the majority seemed to accept the IFA secretary’s hint. Mohun Bagan, represented by its lawyer vice-president Gitanath Ganguly, protested saying that the matter was the jurisdiction of the state body and the national body was wrong in usurping it.

Comment later

After the meeting was over, the Mohun Bagan secretary Anjan Mitra said he would comment or act only after seeing AIFF’s decision.

One of the AIFF vice-presidents, Subrata Dutta, who enjoys a similar post in IFA, supported the national body’s move saying its secretary is empowered to take such a decision on his won.

“Personally I do not support this move as it undermines the authority of the state body. I will raise this point at an appropriate time but by this I cannot say the AIFF secretary did something unlawful,” Dutta said.

The Mohun Bagan representative also questioned the propriety of the AIFF player-status committee, which he felt was not authorised to decide on a player suspended for disciplinary reasons.

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