A sorry state of affairs

By S. R. Suryanarayan

CHENNAI, OCT 7. Football activities in the country seem to have gone into a hibernation, if one were to view it from AIFF's perspective. Even in normal times the working of the parent body has been haphazard. Now, things have come to a standstill, thanks to the impending elections.

Nothing seems to matter other than the elections. And this, when a series of top national tournaments cry for decisions, not the least being the National league. Four editions have gone by with each passing year only giving the feeling that this much vaunted and rich prize money fixture would be grounded any time with sponsors increasingly reluctant to associate themselves. That the prize money for the previous year's top placed teams has not been disbursed nor the super cup match between the NFL winner and the Federation Cup champion is conducted yet, gives an inkling to the sorry state.

Worst of all is that nothing is finalised for the fifth edition of the National league. But from every available forum, the AIFF President, Mr Priyaranjan Dasmunshi, indicated it will have an early start, maybe, by October third week itself to facilitate a break in January when the Millennium cup international tourney is proposed.

Already the first week of October has gone, and even preliminary matters like finalising the dates, charting out the draw and informing the teams have not been worked out yet.

Then comes the sponsor. If this is the fate of NFL then what will it be for Federation Cup, Nehru Cup, not to talk of the previous year's junior national championship which is still to get dates !

It is ironical that this mess should come about instead of planned approach when not long ago a no less a person than Mr Peter Vellappan, the AFC Secretary General, spoke bluntly in New Delhi about the way the sport is being administered in the country.

That India's image has drastically lowered in the eyes of AFC is now an open secret. Now it is tarnished further because of the inertia.

It is anybody's guess as to how much salvage work AIFF can do at this eleventh hour. At least there appears some concern amongst Executive committee members, for, they have called for a meeting of the parent body in New Delhi on Monday. ``There is no specific agenda'', said an EC member but it is to be assumed that the meeting would throw some light on all the pending matters. But will there be a decision at all is a million dollar question.

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