NEW DELHI: All India Football Federation president Praful Patel could reportedly continue in office beyond December 2020 when his stint was originally supposed to end.
Reason: The COVID-19 pandemic, which has frozen the game on and off the field is likely to extend the AIFF supremo’s tenure, Goal reports.
According to the football website, one BIG reason is linked to the forced postponement of the 2020 U17 Women’s World Cup, which India was to host in October. It is highly unlikely that AIFF will opt to hold elections and undergo a change in leadership before fresh dates are announced for the tournament and the event has been successfully delivered.
It has to be noted that Patel played a key role in India landing hosting rights for the 2020 Women’s U17 World Cup as the head of the Local Organising Committee. He is also a serving member of the FIFA Council.
A precedent has already been set by the French Football Federation (FFF). Taking into account the disruptions to the game due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the FFF have already pushed back their presidency elections by three months. It was initially supposed to be held on 12 December but now will take place on March 13, 2021. This sees Noel Le Graet’s mandate extended and the AIFF could also adopt something similar in Patel’s case, Goal reports.
Patel’s stint as the AIFF supremo has seen some groundbreaking developments in Indian football including the advent of the Indian Super League and the national team breaching the top-100 in FIFA rankings. India also hosted their first ever FIFA tournament in 2017 – the U17 World Cup – which was a huge success.
