Supreme Court takes a dig at Praful Patel

Bengaluru, August 23: The apex court of the country -- Supreme Court -- has come down heavily on former All India Football Federation (AIFF) chief Praful Patel, blaming him for the fiasco which forced the game's global governing body -- FIFA -- to ban the national football federation and put India's hosting rights of FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup under a cloud.

The Supreme Court said that Patel was trying to torpedo the tournament after it was informed that FIFA's suspension of the AIFF would result in the country losing the hosting rights of the Under-17 Women's World Cup scheduled to be held in October.

Accoring to a report which appeared in the Indian Express daily, heading a two-judge bench hearing the application to dissolve the Committee of Administrators (CoA) running the daily affairs of AIFF, a visibly upset Justice D Y Chandrachud said, "You tell us that there is an objection and you torpedo the tournament. Mr Praful Patel is trying to torpedo the tournament. You try it also now. We will deal with you."

It is worth mentioning that the Supreme Court on Monday (August 22) handed back the day-to-day management of the AIFF to the Federation committee that will be headed by its Secretary General Sunando Dhar.

This was FIFA's main demand to lift India's suspension as the apex court literally ended the mandate of CoA to govern the AIFF.

The latest Supreme Court ruling has given fresh hopes of FIFA lifting the ban on AIFF and the country being able to host the FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup in October.

Chandrachud was responding to an assertion from a counsel representing a state association that one or two states may have objections on the appointment of returning officers for the forthcoming elections to the Executive Council of AIFF after the court decided to dissolve the CoA.

The Supreme Court itself had appointed the three-member CoA headed by former top court judge AR Dave to run the affairs of the AIFF in a May 18 order while ousting Patel as president of the national federation after he overstayed in his term.

Other members of CoA included former Chief Election Commissioner Dr SY Qureshi and ex-Indian football captain Bhaskar Ganguly.