The Supreme Court Today (April 5th) agreed to review the pleas regarding the All India Football Federation and the finalisation of its constitution, which was drafted by former SC Justice L Nageswara Rao. CJI D Y Chandrachud acknowledged the arguments of Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, acting as an amicus curiae, stressing the importance of hearing the pleas.
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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court of India today, expressed its readiness to consider scheduling hearings for a series of petitions concerning the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the approval of its constitution, which was developed under the guidance of former apex court judge, Justice L Nageswara Rao.
The decision came from a bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, alongside Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra. This bench acknowledged the arguments presented by senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, who is serving the court in the capacity of an amicus curiae.
Sankaranarayanan emphasized the urgency of addressing these petitions, pointing out an earlier assurance that the pleas would be listed for April 5.
“It was said on March 19 that the pleas will be listed on April 5, that is today,”
-Sankaranarayanan said.
Chief Justice Chandrachud provided assurance that the hearings on these matters would be scheduled promptly, reflecting the court’s recognition of the significance of these issues to the governance and administration of football in India.
This set of legal proceedings encompasses two main categories of petitions. One pertains to the Indian Olympic Association, and the other focuses on the AIFF. The court had previously directed that the report prepared by Justice Rao, detailing the proposed constitution for the AIFF, be distributed among all interested parties by Gopal Sankaranarayanan, ensuring that stakeholders had access to the information necessary for formulating any objections to the draft constitution.
On May 2, 2023, the Supreme Court tasked Justice Rao with compiling a comprehensive report aimed at finalizing the AIFF’s constitution. This directive came after considering the various objections raised against an initial draft by multiple stakeholders, including FIFA, the international governing body for football.
The court noted that the extensive feedback received on the draft constitution could be addressed through Justice Rao’s expertise, who had previously successfully overseen the constitution formulation for the Indian Olympic Association as mandated by the Supreme Court.
The ongoing deliberations center on finalizing the AIFF’s constitution while carefully considering the detailed objections from different football stakeholders in India. This effort underscores the Supreme Court’s active involvement in ensuring that the governance structures of significant sports bodies like the AIFF are established transparently, inclusively, and in a manner that aligns with the best interests of the sport and its stakeholders in the country.
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