AIFF to roll out one-time medical fund for retired football figures

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Tuesday reiterated its decision to create a 'Benevolence Fund' to provide a one-time grant for medical purposes to ex-players, coaches, referees, match officials and support staff.

A dedicated committee will be formed to evaluate applications on a case-to-case basis.

AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey, who pledged Rs 1,00,000 to the fund, emphasised that the initiative was a humanitarian gesture, recognising the lifelong contributions of those who have served Indian football, a release from the national federation said.

"AIFF will contribute an amount of Rs 5,00,000 to the fund. The terms and conditions of the grant will be set by relevant committees," the release said.

The AIFF also said it will proactively explore avenues to enhance the fund over time, including the organisation of charity matches and mobilising support from other potential sources of revenue and partnerships.

In addition to the Benevolence Fund, Chaubey also proposed the establishment of a Pension Fund for AIFF employees who have served 20 years or more and have retired from the organisation at the age of 60 or later.

The AIFF's Finance Committee met here on Tuesday and approved the opening of new bank accounts for the Benevolence and Pension Funds.

In addition to this, the Finance Committee, headed by Menla Ethenpa, reviewed the accounts for the financial year 2024-25 and sent them for audit.

The Finance Committee also proposed a new procurement policy, which will be forwarded to the Executive Committee for approval at its next meeting.