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According to reports, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) have refused to pay any compensation to Anthony D'Souza, who suffered a serious injury at the national team training camp in Guwahati. Anthony plays for Pune FC and had earned his maiden call-up to the national team following his strong displays earlier in the season.
The injury, from initial reports, appeared to be a serious one and the Goan footballer has already undergone a major surgery with possibly more to follow.
Indian national coach Stephen Constantine said, “It was a freak injury, to be honest. He turned with the ball and a player caught him. Many other times, nothing would have happened, but he (now) has a bad injury and I would like to offer my best wishes to him on behalf of the team”.
Injury to keep player out for over a year
According to accounts, Anthony's ankle bone had popped out of the flesh after the clash and he required a major surgery at a leading hospital in Mumbai. The midfielder is expected to be out for at least a year due to the severity of the injury.
A source from inside the team told TOI, “He has to undergo another operation after three months.”
Another source, who met the footballer in Mumbai, added, “The doctors have told him that he will be out for eight months, but we fear, with the kind of injury that he has, he will not return to competitive football for at least a year.”
Anthony’s club contract runs out in two months
Anthony’s contract with Pune FC runs out in May this year but the club have been helpful to the player in every possible way, providing him with the best doctors, facilities and a chance to continue being with the team.
However, Anthony’s contract runs out in two more months and it will take something special on the part of the club to go beyond their contractual obligations. The AIFF have refused to own up to the situation and do the needful.
Chirag Tanna, Head of Operations at Pune FC said, “We had an initial discussion (with AIFF) but that's about it. We will take it up again with them. Anyone who gets injured when on national duty must be taken care of by the AIFF.” Anthony got injured during national duty and hence is supposed to be the AIFF’s responsibility.
AIFF refuses to own up
AIFF general secretary Kushal Das said, “It's a very unfortunate but freak injury. I have taken versions from different sources and I can confirm this was just a normal training tackle.
“The insurance, if any, will be with the club but the AIFF do not have the resources to pay any compensation. The AIFF cannot pay him.”
