AIFF to decide I-League clubs' fate next week

The fate of the 14 I-League clubs, who have failed the club licensing test, for the upcoming season will be decided by the All India Football Federation's (AIFF) next week when its club licensing committee meets.

A five-member committee will meet Aug 21 at the AIFF headquarters here to take a call on the exemption.

The five-member committee comprises retired judge N.K. Sud; Sanjiv Paul, vice-president Corporate Services Tata Steel Ltd; Ratnakar Shetty, chief administrative officer (CAO) Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI); Vikas Chawla, vice president - Coca Cola India and Neel Ratan, head of Management Consultancy, Pricewaterhouse Coopers Private Limited.

The clubs failed to clear the first licensing test when the five-member club licensing Committee - First Instance Body (FIB) -- met at the AIFF Headquarters Aug 2.

The clubs which have failed the test are Dempo SC, Pune FC, Salgaocar SC, Churchill Brothers, East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, Sporting Clube de Goa, Prayag United SC, United Sikkim, Mohammedan Sporting, Mumbai FC, Rangdajied FC, Shillong Lajong FC and Pailan Arrows.

An exemption would allow the clubs to participate in I-League and Federation Cup this season.

Before granting a licence to the clubs, the AIFF looks at five areas - legal, infrastructure, financial, personnel and sporting.