The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has asked Fifa to lift the suspension imposed on it after the mandate of a court-appointed committee to govern the sport in the country was terminated this week. India's highest court disbanded India's football federation in May and appointed a three-member committee to head operations, amend the body's constitution and conduct elections that have been pending for 18 months. Fifa, football's governing body, banned the AIFF this month, citing <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/football/2022/08/16/why-has-fifa-suspended-the-indian-football-federation/" target="_blank">"undue influence from third parties"</a> and said the suspension would be lifted once the national body regains full control. On Monday, India's Supreme Court ruled that the committee's mandate "stands terminated" and the day-to-day management of all football affairs will be handed back to the AIFF. Sunando Dhar, AIFF's acting general secretary, wrote to Fifa secretary general Fatma Samoura on Tuesday requesting that the authority lift the suspension.. "Since the conditions set out in your letter for lifting of the suspension stand satisfied, we request that a order to that effect be passed at the earliest for the AIFF to continue with the smooth running of football in India," the letter said. Fifa has yet to officially respond to the AIFF letter. According to Fifa statutes, member federations must be free from legal and political interference in their respective countries. Fifa has previously suspended other national associations over similar cases. India is scheduled to host the Under 17 women's World Cup from October 11-30 but their hosting right is under threat due to the Fifa suspension. AIFF elections are currently scheduled to be held early next month.
