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The All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Praful Patel announced that Air India and ONGC will not be allowed to continue in the next edition of elite I-League. The reason is that these two teams, despite being given repeated reminders to fulfil the AFC guideline on licensing criteria, have failed to do so.
The major condition in the AFC guideline for the I-League participating teams is to create a commercial identity of the club. The clubs with its commercial identity must have its own infrastructure and youth development programme.
Air India, one of the largest public sector companies, has its own ground. The club runs its under-19 and under-15 teams in a serious manner throughout the season. The team that participates in the Mumbai league is the under-19 squad of Air India. What the club has not been able to do so far is create a commercial identity.
Despite being aware of the AIFF decision in the last executive committee meeting, Air India hopes the Federation president and other top executives will reconsider the decision before the next edition begins.
At the same time, Air India’s top brass is already in a process to create its commercial identity before the next edition of the League starts. A Mumbai based company named Centram Group has already come forward for a joint-venture with the Mumbai based club. According to a club senior executive, “We have already submitted an official letter to the AIFF, attaching the Centram Group letter that has said the company has agreed with a joint-venture with Air India. In that case, the club’s name will surely be changed.” Although the new name of the club has not yet been decided but according to Mumbai Football Association senior executive, “They can give Centram India Football Club.”
The agreement papers between the company and the club are being prepared. The Air India top brass still do not know whether the team will be allowed to take part in the next edition. But their ongoing move to create a commercial identity will be on. As a team official said, “We have not received any official letter from the AIFF so far that our participation in the next edition of elite League has been terminated. So we are hopeful that the AIFF will consider our case. Even if we are not allowed then also we will continue playing in the Mumbai league with our new commercial identity. And we would again try to earn eligibility for the elite I-league by reaching within the first four in the League qualifiers.”
Air India will play its next I-league match away to Mohun Bagan on April 13 at Kalyani.
