The pan-India Institutional Football League should begin play in January 2024, according to the Competition Committee of the All-India Football Federation.
The All-India Football Federation (AIFF) announced the league would be a pan-India amateur football competition to promote institutional football and encourage player recruitment by Private Corporations, Public Sector units, State Departments, Ministerial units, Police/Defence/Paramilitary Forces (Unit-Level), and Railways (Division-Level).
Following an online conference on Tuesday to examine the future of the nation’s numerous domestic competitions, the Committee suggested the creation of the Institutional Football League.
AIFF Deputy Secretary General Satyanarayan M. and Secretary General Dr. Shaji Prabhakaran attended the meeting. Mohan Lal (Chhattisgarh), Syed Imtiaz Husain (Bihar), K. Neibou Sekhose (Nagaland), Bikramjit Purkayastha (Delhi), and Aslam Ahmed Khan (Karnataka) were present at the meeting as members of the Competition Committee.
The Committee concluded that if there were fewer than 16 teams competing, a single-division competition structure would be used for the Institutional Football League. If the league has more than 16 clubs, a multiple-division structure will be used.
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There will be 10 clubs in the first tier, and the promotion-relegation system between divisions will be used. The Committee also suggested that the chosen teams be consulted while choosing the League format. The AIFF announced in a release that the winning and runner-up clubs will receive direct participation into the Federation Cup 2024.
The committee also suggested giving a straight berth and exempting the host State Associations from competing in the group stages of the Senior Men’s/Women’s National Football Championships for the final rounds.
-IANS
