There seems to be no end to AIFF’s woes. Having handed Fransa-Pax Football Club a clean chit to continue in the National Football League (NFL), Friday saw Air-India ‘officially’ register their protest on the decision. “No one up-man ship will be tolerated. We deserve equal rights,” said Air-India Sports Control Board president Valerian Ferreira, who confirmed to The Indian Express that they (A-I) were not going to take it “lying down.” While A-I have made it a point to request AIFF to change their verdict, manager-cum-coach Bimal Ghosh categorically informs, “our team will not replay the match.” This, Ghosh says, is because the players are not available because they are out of station. With A-I scheduled to replay their game against Fransa-Pax on March 2, Ghosh’s excuse seems weak, particularly when they play their next match three days later. Air-India, in their ’protest’, cited Article 8 (3) of the rules framed by AIFF for the NFL as their base of protest. Says Ferreira: “Not only does the rule clearly mention that we should be benefactors of the game against Fransa-Pax, but the AIFF, in 1998, did set a precedent.” It may be recalled, Churchill Brothers - in 1998 - refused to play their league match against East Bengal, protesting the use of Cosco balls instead of the prescribed Adidas balls specified by AIFF. The association awarded the match in East Bengal’s favour and likewise fined Churchill Brothers Rs 50,000. “We feel we have been wronged,” Ferreira says, and hopes AIFF will see some reason in their protest. Ghosh also says: “Injustice is being done to us. Just because we are an institutional side, it doesn’t mean the AIFF can throw the rule book out of the window to undo their wrong. It is in clear violation of their own rules and those laid down by the NFL committee.” “Let’s not take a request as a weakness,” Ferreira warns.
