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Bhutia issue to be decided by AIFF
A decision on the suspension of India captain Bhaichung Bhutia by Mohun Bagan will be taken by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the Indian Football Association (IFA) said on Thursday.
A decision on the suspension of India captain Bhaichung Bhutia by Mohun Bagan will be taken by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the Indian Football Association (IFA) said on Thursday.
The IFA took the decision at its governing body meeting here as Bhutia had shot off a letter to the AIFF requesting its intervention in the matter a few days ago.
The AIFF then forwarded the matter to their Player’s Status Committee and informed the IFA about the development last evening.
Bhutia had earlier wanted the IFA to sort out the issue following which the state association had called the governing body meeting today.
But in the IFA meeting, attended by 37 members and office bearers, majority of the members -- about 23 of them -- wanted the matter to be solved by the AIFF.
“The governing body today gave the approval to forward the matter to AIFF,” IFA secretary Utpal Ganguly told reporters after the meeting.
He, however, added, “On one hand, Bhutia is saying he has faith on IFA and on the other hand he wants AIFF to sort out the matter. Bhutia had told the AIFF he wanted the national body to look into the matter.”
“The appeal has to come to the governing body. It’s not a matter of Players’ Status Committee. The section under which Bhutia has represented had to come to the governing body as per the Constitution,” Ganguly said.
