AIFF is deep slumber during transfer time

MUMBAI, JUNE 25: The Mumbai and Calcutta football season is starting next month and over 50 football players from all over country are st...

MUMBAI, JUNE 25: The Mumbai and Calcutta football season is starting next month and over 50 football players from all over country are still awaiting their inter-state transfer to be cleared by the All Indian Football Federation AIFF.

In Mumbai, Mahindras have three players while Air-India have four who are yet to be cleared to play for their new teams.

The biggest problem is faced by local league champions, Bengal Mumbai Football Club and Fr Agnel. Both teams have six players who are yet to be cleared. Fr Agnel, who got promoted to Super Division this year, have recruited six players from Goa who are yet to be cleared.

Last year, Mahindras had faced a serious problem when Salim Ansari 8212; their goalkeeper from Dempo Sports Club 8212; was not cleared from AIFF for some time. In the meantime, he donned Mahindras colours and Mumbai Super Division teams objected to it before Mahindras official managed Salim8217;s transfer cleared.

Mahindras coach SS Hakim will again be a worried man as he cannot fieldChristopher, Surmani Singh and Aqueel Ansari in his team and League is due to start next week.

8220;I am going to speak to Ranjit Gupta, president of the Indian Football Association IFA, Calcutta and will find out what is being done about it. I just cannot take risk of fielding players, who are yet to be cleared and face problems later.

8220;The last date for filing the transfer forms was April 15. I wonder what is taking the AIFF officials so long to complete the formalaties. The Federation has not even given us the calender for the season. How can some team practice when they are not sure about their planss,8221; he added.

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Air-India coach Bimal Ghosh is also unhappy with the situation. 8220;Although I have good bench strength this season, I cannot take any risk and am waiting for the second list of transfers to come.8221;

Jerome Dias, the Fr Agnel coach, said: 8220;I have requested Albert Colaco to look into the matter and hopefully, everything will be settled before the beginning of the Super League on July1.

A few days back, FC Kochin had raised the issue about Dempo Sports Club asking for a huge transfer amount for players moving from Dempo to other teams. The matter was brought into the AIFF notice.

AIFF vice-president KN Mour said: 8220;The Dempo issue will be resolved by AIFF President Priyaranjan Das Munshi and the technical committee. Munshi is presently in USA for a seminar on women8217;s football.8221;

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He refused to comment on Dempo8217;s fresh demands of charging transfer fee.